


We Must Survive

by secooper87



Series: The Child of Balime [52]
Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Doctor Who, Doctor Who & Related Fandoms
Genre: Action/Adventure, Horror
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-21
Updated: 2015-03-16
Packaged: 2018-03-14 08:39:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 29,810
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3404222
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/secooper87/pseuds/secooper87
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Seo isn't just a killing machine that you can turn on and off. But when humanity gets desperate… sometimes, they'll do anything.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

"Thank you, Doctor," Clara said, in the TARDIS.

The Doctor looked up from the console. "For what?"

"Kid's day out," said Clara, with a shrug. "Getting us off the planet alive. Whatever you were doing with the Cybermen."

She turned around.

Headed out the door.

"Good night!" she called back. Waved. "See you next Wednesday!"

"Well, a Wednesday, definitely," the Doctor replied, turning back to the central console. "Next Wednesday. Last Wednesday. Who can say?"

Clara grinned at him.

And left.

The second she stepped outside the ship, the Doctor sprung back into action. Leaping around the console, hurriedly pressing buttons and yanking levers.

"Oh, yes, you learned things from me, Cyberplanner," the Doctor muttered. Dragging the zigzag plotter to a different setting, then shoving down three more buttons. "But I learned things from you, too."

He shoved down the dematerialization lever.

And the ship sprung into life. Racing through the vortex.

"Next stop," the Doctor called out, shifting the zigzag plotter, "the Cyberwars!"

* * *

"Two hundred Cybersigns," called Mindy Hannah, from the controls of their ship.

"Only two?" Uter Ven whistled, as he leaned back in his seat. "She's getting faster."

Fernor didn't say anything. Just shifted from foot-to-foot, nervously.

Mindy glanced back at him. "What's wrong, Fernor? Afraid you're not doing enough to aid the war effort? Not our faults we've got the cushiest job of them all."

"But… at what cost?" Fernor said. He clutched the back of the chair in front of him, his knuckles turning white. "I mean, why are we doing this? Is it worth it?"

"We're doing it because we all know what the alternative will be, if we don't," said Major Pelor, as she entered the bridge. She stood straight and tall, in the doorway. "Captain Hannah. Report."

"One hundred and ninety Cybersigns remaining," Mindy said.

* * *

The TARDIS buckled and jolted.

Zipping through the vortex.

"Ha!" shouted the Doctor, as the TARDIS whined out in irritation. "Found you!" The TARDIS tried to protest, but the Doctor reigned her in. "Easy does it… just a little bit… further… and… gotcha!" He slammed the ship into materialization.

In the middle of deep space.

Around two objects that had been floating through the vacuum — which came into focus with every wheeze and groan of the TARDIS' engines.

The first was a tall pillar with glass panels looking like they'd been grown out of a bed of coral.

And the second, a dead body.

Which gasped, then jerked upright.

Color rushing into Jack Harkness' face, as he sprung back to life. Looking around himself, taking in his surroundings — not quite sure he believed where he was.

"Good to have you back with us, Captain," the Doctor said, launching them back into the vortex. "Have fun hanging about in space?"

"Stowed away in an airlock," Jack explained. "They flushed me out." He leapt to his feet. Rushed forwards. "Doctor, they kidnapped—"

"Already know," the Doctor said, springing to the other side of the console. "Already working on it." He looked up. His expression softening. "Thank you for bringing her back from Irkoli."

Jack hesitated.

"You might not thank me after you find out where she is now," he muttered.

* * *

Gariton poked his head up from the corner, where he'd been monitoring external transmissions. "With all due respect, ma'am," he put in, "she has been… different, recently. Perhaps Fernor has a point."

"I see no differences," Pelor replied.

"She's stopped talking," Mindy muttered. "That's definitely different."

"No more escape attempts," Uter added.

"No more anything," Fernor corrected. "It's like, when we first got her, she was a real person. With thoughts and a personality. And then we took her, flipped her into this mode over and over again and it… hollowed her out. Turned her… empty." He pointed down at the planet. "Like the Cybermen do to us."

Pelor turned on her crew. "This whole galaxy was as good as dead, before she showed up," Pelor snapped. "We were that close to blowing up the whole thing as a lost cause. But then  _she_  came. And everything changed." Pelor stepped towards a window. Surveying the planet below. "Like a gift from God. The Cybermen can't see her. They can't sense her. They don't have any idea what she's gonna do next. And no matter how many upgrades they give themselves, she is always faster, better, and stronger than they are." Pelor's lips pushed upwards, into a little smile. "And I've seen evidence of a residual personality, when I iron out her kinks in the Workshop."

"Oh! Look at that!" cried Mindy, pointing at the display. "She must have hit a cluster! From 185 cybersigns down to 120, in a matter of seconds!"

The others gathered around.

Whooping and cheering at the success.

"She's on a roll, now!" said Uter. "Look at those numbers drop!"

Fernor turned back to his commanding officer. "'Iron out the kinks', you say," he said. "Is that what you call editing out her personality, or editing out her conscience?"

"Oh, the personality's going by itself," Uter dismissed. "That's got nothing to do with us. Major Pelor just deals with… 'reprogramming' her conscience."

Pelor turned on Fernor. "How dare you question a commanding officer?" she spat. "I don't have to justify anything I do to  _you_!"

"You have to justify it to the Emperor, though," Gariton chimed in. He gestured at the internal comms link. "He called again, today.  _Really_  wants to know what this 'secret weapon' of ours is. What do I tell him?"

"Nothing," said Pelor. "Pretend our comms are malfunctioning."

Fernor shot her a pointed look. "Again?"

"The Emperor doesn't know what's good for him," said Pelor. "He should be happy we're saving the galaxy — instead of always questioning  _how_  we're doing it!"

"Maybe he's right to question," Fernor muttered.

Pelor's eyes narrowed. "And would you rather," she said, her voice icy, "we save one person, and doom every human still alive in this galaxy?"

Everyone went quiet.

"She  _has_  a conscience," said Pelor, pointing at the planet below. "That's our greatest strength — we have an undefeatable weapon who cares about the survival of human life."

They all looked a little ashamed.

But admitted that Pelor was right.

Mindy turned, returning to the screen. She tapped something. "Ten cybersigns… Five. Four… Two… and we're down to zero."

They all sat in silence, for a few moments.

Reflecting on just what kind of choice they were making. What they were doing.

* * *

"…basically, to cut a long story short," the Doctor continued to explain to Jack, as he made calculations, and tried to program things into his TARDIS, "when the Cyberplanner was in my head, I got a pretty good look-see at certain things that happened, during the Cyberwars. Which means I found out what happened to you two, and could use the TARDIS to track down—"

The Doctor trailed off.

As he noticed Jack analyzing the TARDIS.

"Ah, yes," the Doctor added. "I redecorated."

"I can tell." Jack looked around. Gave a whistle and a grin. "Like it. Modern. Sleek. Sexy."

The Doctor pat his ship, fondly. "She's a marvel, isn't she?"

Jack winked at the Doctor. "Wasn't talking about the ship, Doctor."

The Doctor sighed.

Then waggled a finger at Jack. "No flirting. Bad Jack! Naughty!" Spun back around, and focused on his ship's controls, once more. "As I was saying. Because the Cyberplanner was in my head, I know, generally, what happened to you two. But I don't know any of the specifics."

Jack hesitated.

Clasped his hands behind his back. "Well, I'd say it all started when we landed in the middle of the Cyberwars," said Jack. "But really… must have started before we ever arrived. When those soldiers found 'the Activator'."

The Doctor paused.

Looked up at Jack. "Activator for what?"

"Not  _what_ ," said Jack.


	2. Chapter 2

"No time for waiting!" Pelor shouted, through their reverie. "Do you want her to escape? Captain Hannah — last known location."

"Coordinates 45, 20," said Mindy.

Uter zoomed on that location, activating all lifesign and motion scanners. "Detecting motion of doorways and surrounding environment with no lifesign readings at subgrid 44.6, 20.8. And moving west."

"Going in, now," Mindy replied, swooping the ship in closer.

"Fernor, get the auto-freeze ready," said Pelor. "Gariton, re-engage safety protocols on the Activator. Much as _that_ ever stops her."

The ship zipped through the clouds, and the upper atmosphere.

"Approaching last known destination, Major," Mindy reported.

"Any progress from our target?" Pelor asked.

"Nothing detected since she left the Cybercomplex," said Uter. "Possibly still moving westward. There's a car-port down there. Big concrete structures she can lose us in. We might need to get the dogs out of cryo suspension and sniff her out by hand, like we used to before…"

Uter stopped.

Stared.

Then… in a much softer voice, "Human lifesigns decreasing."

Everyone spun to face him.

"Rapidly," Uter said. He tapped some buttons. "It's… it's all located in the city. She's struck the city."

"But before, she's never…!" said Mindy.

"She warned us this would happen, eventually," Gariton put in. "Back when this first started — she _told_ us this is where it would end."

"And I'm prepared," said Pelor. "Fernor — cancel auto freeze. Arm the planetary bomb."

Fernor stared. "You can't…!"

"A weapon that powerful should never be given the chance to work against us," said Pelor. "We have no choice."

"I think he means you can't," Mindy said, in a small voice, "because it's been tried before. It hasn't worked for the Cybermen, yet. I don't think it'll work for us."

"I've been working a long time on this," Pelor replied. "I think you'll find the bombs I've been preparing are a little stronger than the usual kind."

"No, wait!" said Uter. "Human lifesign decrease… decelerating. Rapidly." He punched buttons. "Yes! And stopped. Signs of rapid motion in the opposite direction. Looks like she managed to stop herself, and get away."

Fernor stood, frozen in place. Not sure what to do.

"In that case, we better go down there and get her," said Pelor. "I think after a little time in the Workshop, she won't try something like this again." She armed her gun, as the ship landed. "Fernor, bring the auto freeze." 

* * *

"I tried to get her away as soon as I found out when and where we were," Jack insisted. Helping the Doctor at the console. "Roughly sketched the history for her. Cyberwar. Humans in retreat. About to blow this galaxy sky high — to eliminate the cyber-menace." Jack adjusted a lever. "Problem was — she wouldn't leave. There was a stranded military platoon, there. Almost wiped out. Seo wanted to save them."

"Can't fault her hearts," the Doctor muttered. Reaching past Jack to flick a switch. "No matter what." He jumped to the other side of the console, grabbed up the display. Frowned. Smacked it on its side. "Stop acting up, Old Girl! Jack may be wrong, but we're stuck with him, now. No sulking!"

"Thanks, Doctor," Jack muttered.

"Nothing personal," the Doctor told Jack. Turned back to the display, shook it. Then grinned, as it began to finally work properly. "That's better!" He poked his head round the side, to look at Jack. "So she faced down the Cybermen?"

"More like she beat the living crap out of them," Jack told him. He looked into the distance, vaguely amused. "Never seen Cybermen cowed like that! They couldn't see her. They couldn't predict her. And she could rip their limbs off with almost no effort at all."

His amusement fell.

Eyes going dark.

"The platoon she was rescuing saw it, too," Jack said. "There were only five of them left alive, by the time we rescued them. I never thought… they'd…"

He trailed off.

His eyes haunted.

"They saw what she could do," the Doctor guessed, "and took her."

"No," said Jack. "They saw what she could do. Knew they had an 'Activator' for a weapon that could do everything Seo did. And put two and two together."

"Activator," the Doctor repeated, dully.

It was impossible!

An… Activator?!

Who would have built such a thing? How could it even exist?

"With one flip of the switch on that Activator," Jack continued, "they turned her from a person into… something else." He clutched the central console. "Hadn't seen her like that since the Master…"

They both exchanged a look.

Then looked away.

Neither wanting to remember the full horror of that year.

"She wiped out all the Cybermen on the planet," said Jack. "Managed to get a grip on herself before she hurt anyone else. _That_ was when they kidnapped her." 

"And you tried to stow away on their ship?" the Doctor asked. 

"Tried," said Jack. "They had Oliver in that airlock, too, you know. I figured they wouldn't flush _that_ out into space." He shrugged. "One of the crew found me. Panicked. You know the rest." 

The Doctor studied the readings on the display, again.

"They're making her change history, huh?" Jack asked. "Humanity blew up the Tiberion Galaxy. You know it. I know it. It's an established fact."

"Yes."

"But now that Seo's around… looking at how good she is at killing Cybermen…" Jack shook his head. "Why bother blowing up the galaxy? They've finally got the one thing they needed: an effective weapon against the Cybermen, who'll keep the humans alive."

"Oh, she'll kill a lot more than Cybermen if we don't stop her," the Doctor muttered. "Trust me." He analyzed the display a little longer.

Tapped a button.

Analyzed it again.

"This is all sounding very bad," the Doctor said. Tapping the screen, thoughtfully. "An 'Activator' that shouldn't even be possible. History being altered. The Weapon in Seo's mind being unleashed right where the Cybermen might get their hands on it. And… the damage to Seo, herself, of course…" 

He went very still at this. 

For a few long seconds, he couldn't actually continue. The fears and worries all caught in his throat. 

"She'll pull through," Jack insisted. "She's a fighter, that one." 

The Doctor didn't meet his eyes. 

His silence spoke more than words ever could.

Jack hesitated. "Doctor…?"

"We do have one thing," the Doctor announced, shoving everything else out of his mind for now. Shifted around the scanner screen, so it faced Jack. "Seo met the Cyberplanner. And when he was in my head — I found out where and when that meeting happened. That gives us a definite date and time on where and when she'll be, so… time to get her back!" 

* * *

It took a while for Fernor, Gariton, and Pelor to find her.

It usually did. 

Less so, since her personality had ebbed away. 

Back when this started, they'd have to freeze her the moment they found her. Or she'd start kicking and screaming, struggling with all she had in her to get free — and she always had been stronger than any of them. 

Now, as they dragged her from her hiding place, she let them take her. 

The look on her face emotionless. Expressionless. 

Blank. 

"You killed humans, today," Major Pelor chided, cuffing the girl. "What was that about?" 

The girl was very quiet. 

Then, in a monotone, responded, "I can't stop myself." 

"Oh, I think you've more than proved that you can," Pelor replied, pushing her roughly out of the building she'd been hiding inside. "You've never killed that many humans before." She leaned down. "You know it's wrong, don't you?" 

"Wrong," was the monotone reply. 

"If you start doing that too many times," said Pelor, "we're going to have to destroy you. How do you feel about that?" 

The girl didn't answer for a very long time. 

Then, in a very small voice, the girl replied with: "You already are." 

Pelor gave up the conversation. "I'll save this for the Workshop," she said. Dragging the girl out and shoving her at Fernor. "You get her ready for the transport. I figure the residual personality will pop out any minute, now — and we want her frozen before that happens. If she's still dangerous, do what you have to." 

She stormed back onboard the ship. 

Fernor did as he was told. 

Freezing the small blond girl, before she had a chance to do anything about it. He hauled her onboard the ship, with Gariton. 

"You know that every time we flip that switch on the Activator," said Fernor, as they hauled her onboard, "we're just doing what they're doing. They call it cyberconversion. What do we call it?" 

"Survival," said Gariton. 

"We must survive," Fernor retorted. "Where have I heard that before?" 

"I'm just following orders," Gariton insisted. "It's not my responsibility." 

They brought her into the ship. 

And flew to the Workshop.

Where they were able to restrain her more securely. Let her defrost in a place she couldn't possible escape from. Isolated and trapped.

Pelor was waiting for her, when she unfroze.

Activator in hand.

"Are you gonna be mouthy, this time?" said Pelor, flipping settings on the Activator to turn it to 'weapon reprogramming' mode. "Or will you shut up like a good weapon, and allow me to start right in with the conditioning?"

The girl stared at Pelor.

Blankly.

"Oh, come on!" Pelor provoked. "I've heard it all before. This is the part where you start shouting at me about… your Key and your home and how I'm nothing compared to you and all that. I'm expecting it."

The girl blinked.

The blankness never leaving her face.

Then, at last, "It's cold in here."

Uter, monitoring the restraint systems, looked up at Major Pelor. "I think… we've finally destroyed anything left of her," he said.

"She's still in there, isn't she?" Pelor snapped. Pointing. "She stopped herself. As long as she does that, I can still get through." She turned back to the girl. Leaning down. "Who are you?"

"I don't remember my name," the girl said.

With one press of a button on the Activator, Pelor sent an electric jolt of pain through her.

"Wrong answer," said Pelor. "Who are you?"

The girl went still.

"I am a weapon," she said, at last. Still in a monotone. "I am built to serve the Emperor."

Pelor gave a small smile. The Emperor would like that.

So long as he didn't ask too many questions.

"And what do you do?" Pelor continued.

"I will kill all Cybermen," the girl replied. "Across every galaxy. Every bit of space. The whole universe. Everywhere."

"You will…" Pelor prompted.

"Eradicate," said the girl. "Decimate. Destroy. No inch left alive. No cyberpart left intact."

Pelor quickly went through the other conditioning statements she'd imbedded in.

Going rapidly through the list.

Every answer was correct.

Every response on target.

Only a few little residual things left over that Pelor had to iron out. All quickly done and dusted. 

"Now, I've got one more for you," Pelor concluded. "A new one. Humans." 

The girl was quiet. 

Awaiting the conditioning.

"You will not harm humans," said Pelor. "Repeat that." 

"Humans," the girl said. Her voice faltering, just a little. "Like Mom." 

That made Pelor jump a little. 

And Uter, behind her. 

"Yes, humans like… your mom," Pelor said. "You will not harm humans."

"She's got a human family?!" Uter hissed.

"For mom read, 'engineer who created her'," Pelor hissed back. Shushing him, urgently.

"I love… loved… Mom," the girl said.

"That's very good," said Pelor. "You love your mom. A human being. I bet you did everything she said."

"I killed her," said the girl.

No expression in her voice.

Pelor looked back at Uter, as if this confirmed that everything they were doing to this girl was justified.

"But you won't do that again," Pelor told the girl. "You're under our control, now. And you will not harm humans."

"I will not…" the girl began.

Then drifted off.

Pelor pushed the button, sending the electric jolt through her, again.

"You will not harm humans," Pelor said.

"I… I…" the girl fell silent. Then, a little louder, "I will destroy all Cybermen. I will destroy the heart of the Cyber-army. Take me to the Cyberplanner."

Pelor sighed. "Good enthusiasm." She sent another electrical jolt through her. "Not what I was looking for."

The girl panted for breath.

"I will not harm humans," Pelor repeated.

"I will not harm humans," said the girl. "I will kill all Cybermen. Take me to the Cyberplanner."

Pelor had to go through it several more times to make sure it was ingrained. Workshopping out all the other kinks, while she was at it, double-checking and triple-checking her list of conditioning.

When she was done, at long last, she took the Activator out of reprogram mode, and tucked it away into its protective case.

"Freeze her, and we'll head out," said Pelor. "She wants to destroy the Cyberplanner? I say we let her. Finish _that_ one off, and we'll probably all get medals, by the end of this."

The girl gave a very small, very faint smile.

A twinkle in her eyes.

Then it was gone, as she went blank and empty, once more.

And was cryogenically frozen, for the next trip into space.


	3. Chapter 3

The Doctor threw the TARDIS into life.

"But… Doctor," Jack said. Pointing at the date on the display. "That's months after they took her!"

The Doctor didn't answer.

"There's gotta be a way we can get to her sooner!" Jack insisted. "Whatever they're doing to her with the Activator — it can't be healthy. She's gonna—"

"If I get her before that point," the Doctor snapped, "then the Cyberplanner will never meet her, and I'll never find out enough to come back and rescue her in the first place." He pulled the materialization lever. "I have enough to worry about without another temporal paradox on my head."

* * *

"And… in orbit now," Mindy Hannah announced.

Major Pelor stepped forwards. Looking down at the planet, below them. "You think the Cyberplanner's down there?"

"Gariton leaked information that our 'secret weapon' was being shipped here," said Uter. He shrugged. "Considering they can't work out how to upgrade themselves to see, sense, or defeat her — I think the Cyberplanner's just as eager to meet her as she is to meet him."

"If this backfires, and the Cybermen wind up using this excursion to develop a software patch that can take her down…" Fernor muttered.

Pelor dismissed the worry.

"Pull us into low orbit," Pelor commanded. Glanced back. "Fernor, Gariton. Defrost and activate. High-altitude drop — standard procedure."

"Yes, ma'am," said Gariton, grabbing the Activator.

Fernor echoed him. But didn't sound quite so enthusiastic.

Dragged his feet, as he followed Gariton out.

"I need to do something about Fernor," Major Pelor muttered. "Maybe get him sentenced to the punishment platoons."

"Do that," Mindy said, beneath her breath, "and he'll spill the beans to the Emperor about our little secret."

Pelor didn't answer.

Just shot Mindy a long, hard glare.

"I'm going to pretend I didn't just hear that," Pelor informed her. Clasping her hands behind her back. "For your sake, Captain Hannah, be thankful I am."

* * *

"I will destroy all Cybermen," the girl said, in a monotone, as Fernor defrosted her.

Her face was blank.

Empty.

Emotionless as a Cyberman's.

Fernor strapped the parachute to the girl's back, disgusted. "Do what you have to," he told Gariton. Turning on his heel. "I'm not sticking around for this."

In two steps, he thrust himself back onto the ship.

Leaving Gariton alone, in the airlock.

With their Weapon.

Gariton slipped the Activator unit out of its protective casing. Placing his free hand on the controls to the airlock, as the space ship swooped through the atmosphere, Gariton pointed the Activator straight at the girl.

"It's what has to be done," Gariton reminded himself. Finger on the switch. He hesitated, as he saw her emotionless face. "I'm just following orders."

He moved to flip the switch, to send her into Weapon Mode.

But never got the chance.

Faster than he could process, the girl leapt at him, yanking the Activator from his hand, then twisting him around and ramming him, face down, against the airlock wall.

"I'll bet you are," the girl hissed. "Friggin' moron."

She yanked something out of the Activator, then dropped the rest of it to the ground and smashed it underfoot.

"I had to play dumb so you'd let your guard down," said the girl, pocketing the item she'd removed. "Oh, and before we forget…" She spun him around to face her.

Then punched him in the nose.

He yelped, as his nose shattered beneath the impact.

"Oh, wah, wah, baby thinks he's so big," said the girl. "Using me as your tool. Erasing most of my personality." She leaned in. "Bet you're regretting that last one now, huh?"

Gariton tried to scream, but the girl clamped a hand down over his mouth.

Shushing him with mock affection.

"Don't cry," she said, her voice cold and cruel. "Just because you think you're gonna die. You do, don't you? Never make it back to Mommy or Daddy. Never get to kiss your sweetheart goodbye." Her voice dropped to a menacing whisper. "You never wanted  _me_  to make it out alive — why should  _I_  let  _you_?"

He tried to plead with her through the hand that was muffling him.

Tried to beg for mercy.

"Mercy? You've got some nerve." She leaned directly into his face. Hissed at him, "Every time you flipped that switch, it burned. I  _felt_ you, as you scorched out all that good, sweet kindness in me. Left me with ashes and dust and death." Her eyes twinkled with malice. "Still think I'll give you 'mercy'?"

She stood up, straight, dropping him.

He tumbled to the floor, in a heap, and she kicked him to make sure he stayed down.

"So I'm heading down to the Cybermen," the girl told him. "Let's see what your Cyberplanner has to say about a part-hell-goddess on his side, huh?"

"You… can't…"

"Oh, shut your friggin face!" The girl gave him another vicious kick, and he groaned. "This universe should be worshipping me, you know? Not forcing me to do your dirty work." She punched through the wall, grabbing up circuitry underneath. Yanked it, until the wires snapped. "Maybe you will worship me, after I make the Cybermen my private army."

Alarms began to sound, around them.

As every emergency system they had to deal with this situation went off-line.

Including automation systems to deliver the planetary bomb they were saving up — just in case.

Gariton tried to cry out, but the girl — with a well-aimed punch to the head — knocked him out, cold. "By the time you wake up, Gari-jerk, there won't be one little thing you humans can do to stop me." She shoved open the airlock, kicked the remains of the Activator off the edge. Then, with a running start, launched herself over the side of the ship. "Goodbye, losers!"

Fernor burst into the airlock.

Saw the girl falling over the edge, the security systems broken, and Gariton out cold. Ran over to check lifesigns.

Still alive.

"Medibot to holding bay 7," Fernor reported, into the comms. "Looks like she went into Weapon Mode too early. Beat up Gariton, then headed down to the planet."

No one on that ship found out what really happened, in the airlock.

Until Gariton woke up. And she was already down on the surface. And it was too late to stop her.

* * *

The girl dropped down, gracefully, onto the planet's surface.

Right beside a looming cyber-conversion plant.

Squads of Cybermen patrolling the perimeter, some marching past her, right now.

"Step one," said the girl, shrugging out of her parachute. "Check. And highly satisfying." She shook out her hair. Then turned, and strode into a nearby alleyway. "Time for step two."

She waited.

Until a troop of three Cybermen marched by, on their patrol.

"Yoo-hoo!" shouted the girl. "Unconverted humanoid in here! Come and get me!"

The Cybermen turned. Leveled guns, rushing in with super-speed. "All humans will be converted," the Cybermen said, in unison. "You will become like…"

The Cybermen stopped their advance.

Stood in place, in the middle of the alley.

"Cyber-convert  _me_?" The girl laughed, stepping right in front of them. Hands on her hips. "Try it on, big boys. Convert me, and you lose all the best bits."

"No visual signs of life detected," the Cybermen reported. They were as close to 'confused' as a Cyberman could be. "Scanning…"

"Yeah, yeah, I know the drill," sighed the girl. "First, 'Scanning.' Then 'Scan failed'. Then 'Fault Detected: Upgrading.' Then you upgrade your scans, try scanning me again. Scan fails… and on and on and on and on! Talk about a bunch of cyber  _morons_!"

"Scan failed," the Cybermen reported.

The girl groaned. Then reached out and yanked the head of one of the Cybermen off its body. Dangling it in front of her.

"I'm right here, dumbo," she shouted at it. Looked up to address the rest of the Cybermen, as the middle, headless one clanged to the ground beside them. "Now. I wanna talk terms with your Cyberplanner. You gonna bring him over?" She tossed the Cyberhead from hand to hand. "Or is this gonna start getting  _nasty_?"

The Cybermen seemed to think a moment.

Then raised their gun-arms towards the sound of her voice.

"You are the Invisible Weapon," they said, in unison.

The girl rolled her eyes. "Oh, finally, a  _glimmer_  of intelligence!" But not enough, as she automatically ducked the shots she knew would follow — from her previous encounters with them. Then flipped over their heads. Grabbing up one Cyberman by the waist and spinning it around, as it shot.

So its beam slammed straight into the one beside it.

The Cyberman screamed, as it died.

"I'll take that," the girl said, tearing the gun off the Cyberman's hand and tossing it over a shoulder. "So. You ready to command your Cyberplanner to come here, yet? Or do I have to wipe out his army of Cyberwimps, one by one, until he gets the message?"

The Cyberman paused.

"Cyberplanner has been alerted," the Cyberman reported. Turned around, hands extended as if to strangle the life out of the girl.

But she'd already slipped out of his grasp.

And he couldn't see her anymore.

"Goody me," said the girl. Stepping forwards, a fierce grin on her face. "Cause I'm not in the mood for killing, Cyby-boy." She rolled up her sleeve. "Right now — I'm just in the mood for pain."

Then punched straight through the Cyberman's torso.

"First thing your Cyberplanner sees, facing me down?" said the girl. She twisted something deep down inside the Cyberman — whose circuits all fizzled and sparked. "That I'm in charge."


	4. Chapter 4

"Gariton did what?!" shouted Major Pelor. She raced into the temporary med-bay. "That idiot!"

Gariton had just regained consciousness.

The medi-bot had stopped the bleeding on his nose, fixed up the damage as best it could. Gariton winced, as Pelor stormed into the room.

"You  _lost_  the Activator?!" Pelor shouted at him.

"Ma'am, yes, ma'am," Gariton said, his voice sounding funny with his nose still suffering. "She attacked me, then abandoned ship to offer her services to the Cybermen."

"Oh, that's all we need!" Major Pelor hissed.

Mindy Hannah ran into the room, breathless. "Major Pelor, ma'am," she reported. "Bomb launch sequences inoperative."

"Then we'll have to do this manually," said Pelor. "Land the ship, and we'll set off the planetary bomb ourselves. We can't allow a weapon like her to fall into the hands of the enemy."

Hannah saluted with a, "Yes, Ma'am."

Then turned and raced back to the bridge.

Gariton and Fernor looked at one another.

"With all due respect, Major," Fernor said. "Is this… wise?"

Pelor turned on him. Fury flooding through her. "I don't have time for one of your fits of conscience, Fernor!" she shouted. "It's our duty to make sure the Cybermen never—!"

"I think he meant — is it wise to land on the planet," Gariton muttered. "That's exactly what she wants us to do."

Pelor regarded them both. Feeling a little lost.

"What…?" she started.

"If she's not been Activated, ma'am," said Fernor, "then I don't think she's a threat to humanity in general. She seemed to like humans."

"She's allying with the Cybermen!" Major Pelor insisted. Spun around, and marched out the door. "That makes her a threat to humanity. Period."

They watched as Pelor left.

"She told you she was allying with the Cybermen just to make us land, didn't she?" Fernor guessed.

Gariton nodded.

"Because it's not humanity she wants to die long, torturous deaths," said Fernor. "It's just the five of  _us_.  _We're_  her primary target."

* * *

The Cyberman screamed, as the girl tore at a chain of goo now dangling out of its metal casing. It thrashed, overcome with a pain and panic it had never felt before.

The girl had crushed the emotional inhibitor.

To make sure it felt fear.

"Aw," said the girl, with a fake pout. She stroked the Cyberman's head with her free hand. "Sh, sh."

The Cyberman gave a metallic whimper, as — with her other hand — she tugged a little more at the string of goo she'd yanked before.

"I know you're in pain," the girl said, patting the Cyber-helmet. "So am I. But mine counts more than yours." She leaned down. Whispered, where its ears should be, "What's it like in your head, right now?"

The Cyberman couldn't speak.

Could only scream, as she plunged her hands back into its insides, twisting and pulling things that caused it utter agony.

"Pain, horror, fear," the girl agreed. "All the usual! Boo-hoo, get over it!" She yanked a circuit out, and the Cyberman began twitching uncontrollably. "I got a weapon in my head, and every time it activates, it eats up more and more of me. The human race — whom I've been protecting and helping — used that against me, for their own selfish purposes. You wanna guess what that's like?!"

The Cyberman tried to answer.

But words failed it.

"I had a castle up here, you know," said the girl, jumping to her feet and towering over the fallen Cyberman. She pointed to her head. "Fairytale castle. Beautiful and glorious — and I was its queen." Her voice dropped, her eyes narrowing. She grabbed up one of its arms in her hands. "The castle's dust, now. There's nothing left up there but gray and dark and blah." She wrenched off his arm, producing another howl of pain. She screamed, over his agony, "You think your pain even  _starts_  to compare to  _mine_ , Mr. Self-Obsessed?!"

The charging of energy weapons behind her was the first alert that they were not alone.

The girl spun back around.

To find a huge troop of Cyberman waiting for her. And one huge Cyberman at the front, with a special black casing that looked like it had grown over a human body — from the mind outwards.

She dropped the components of the writhing Cyberman.

"Cyberplanner," said the girl. "About time you showed up."

The Cyberplanner could hear her, but clearly couldn't see her. It could, however, see what she'd done.

"You have caused pain," said the Cyberplanner, "without any purpose. This is illogical."

"Oh, it's got a purpose." The girl stepped forwards. Her eyes glimmering in the sunlight. "First time you meet me — I want you to know just what I can do to you, if you don't cooperate."

"A threat," the Cyberplanner said.

"Yeah," said the girl.

The Cyberplanner paused, processing this.

Then, "You will be destroyed."

The girl sighed. "You wanna try  _that_  again? Didn't work before, metal-head, and it won't work now." She tilted her head to the side. Small smile twitching at her lips. "I got a better idea. How about… I help you?"

"You will not help us. You are a weapon for the humans," said the Cyberplanner. "Your brain will be dissected and—"

"Just listen!" the girl screamed, over him.

The Cyberplanner stopped talking.

"A long time ago," the girl said, "I rescued five humans from being cyberconverted. In thanks, they kidnapped me, controlled me, brainwashed me, and burned away my personality. I don't like them anymore than you do."

"You are controlled by the humans," the Cyberplanner said.

"I  _was_ ," the girl agreed. "But I broke their Activator. I'm a free agent, again. A free agent… with one of the most powerful weapons in the universe tucked away inside my head."

The Cyberplanner lowered his gun.

"I get how you cyberplanners work," said the girl. "Squirming your way through other people's brains. Bet you're dying to dig around inside of  _mine_. Get that kind of power working for the Cybermen."

"Your brain is incompatible," said the Cyberplanner.

The girl shot him a pointed look. "Only because you numb-nuts can't figure out the correct software patch needed to read my brain." She shrugged. "But I can give you the patch. You'll get full access to my brain — and the weapon inside it."

"Powerful weapons must be only used to further the aims of the Cybermen," said the Cyberplanner. "That is logical."

"I thought so," said the girl.

"But you are not logical," the Cyberplanner continued. "You want something from us."

The girl stepped back.

"Yeah," she admitted. "Two somethings." She held up a finger. "First. That whole 'no emotions' thing? Nu-uh, not happening. I wanna be worshipped — and your Cybermen are gonna worship me."

"Emotions are weakness."

"We'll work on that one." The girl lifted up a second finger. "Second — and this is the most important. Those five humans I mentioned, earlier?" Her eyes narrowed. "They destroyed the nice, sweet, happy part of me. My  _real_ personality. And I want them to suffer for it."

"Your vendetta is not logical," the Cyberplanner reported. "They will be captured and converted into—"

The girl grabbed up the Cyberplanner, lifting him so he dangled in the air. "…into Cybermen?" the girl said. "You think they deserve something that easy?!"

"Cybermen are the future," said the Cyberplanner. "Cybermen create more Cybermen. Five Cybermen will contribute to the army of—"

"Cybermen feel nothing!" shouted the girl. "No fear. No horror. No pain! Those bastards as good as murdered me, and didn't give a damn — they should feel  _every second_  of their deaths."

"That is illogical."

The girl hurled the Cyberplanner into the concrete wall, which dented under the blow.

"But it's what I want," the girl told him. "And what I want… goes."

The Cyberplanner's circuits whirred and clicked, trying to compensate for the damage, as he slumped to the ground.

"Those humans didn't know who they were messing with," said the girl. Stalking towards him. "They thought I was so nice and sweet and kind. Boy, were they wrong." She knelt down. Staring into the hollow eye-sockets of the Cyberplanner's helmet. "I'm hoping you know better."

The Cyberplanner didn't answer.

"In fact, I know you do," the girl continued. "Or you'd have gotten your thugs over there to try to shoot me."

A swarm of cyber-mites raced towards the Cyberplanner, to assist as its self-repair units kicked in.

"You will give the Cyber-race access to the weapon inside you," the Cyberplanner clarified, "in return for your conditions?"

The girl spread open her arms. "That's the bargain," the girl replied. "I torture some humans. You get my brain." She grinned. "It's a win-win."

The Cyberplanner got back to its feet.

"Deal accepted," it reported.


	5. Chapter 5

A wheezing groan, as the TARDIS materialized on the surface of the planet. In the middle of a clearing in a dense forest.

The Doctor stuck his head out the doors. "Hm. Trees. Grass. And no Cybermen. Could be a bad sign. Although…"

His eyes fixed on the space ship coming down through the upper atmosphere.

"…that's definitely a military class ship from the period of the Cyberwars." The Doctor opened the doors, fully. Stepped outside, to squint at it.

Jack came out behind him.

"That's them!" Jack said. Reached for his gun, instinctively. "The bastards!"

The Doctor snapped his head around, to glare at Jack. Cleared his throat, pointedly.

Jack took the cue.

Held up his hands.

"Yeah, yeah, no guns," Jack muttered. "Some things never change."

The Doctor closed the TARDIS doors. Then whipped out his sonic, did a quick scan. "Definitely a planet full of Cybermen," he said, checking the readings. "Right place, right time. Just landed a bit off the beaten path."

Jack whistled at the sonic screwdriver. "New body," he said, pointing to it, "comes with a bigger tool."

The Doctor whirled around. "No flirting! Bad Jack!" Whirled back. Eyes fixed on the space ship, as it touched down to land not far away from them. "Military grade ship. Cyberwars. Their biggest weapon now fallen into the hands of the Cyberplanner."

He began to run through the trees, towards it.

"Only one thing humans would do, next!" the Doctor called back.

Jack shuddered, racing after the Doctor. "They're gonna blow up the planet."

"No, they're gonna try," the Doctor replied. Then, with a mutter, added, "If Seo's in weapon-mode, the end-result will be a  _whole_  lot worse."

* * *

"It should be enough to take her out," Uter said, as he and Fernor disembarked the ship, bomb in hand. "Set the countdown, and we'll even have time to get away before it blows."

Fernor gave a bitter laugh.

"Think Pelor's planning to leave that to chance?" Fernor shook his head. "The Major's had it in for me since I first voiced my objections to using that girl as our weapon. Someone has to guard this bomb to make sure it's not disabled before the countdown ends — and I'm guessing the Major's decided it's gonna be me."

"She wouldn't…!"

"Open your eyes, Uter!" Fernor shouted. "That girl rescued us from becoming Cybermen! Remember? And Major Pelor repaid that kindness by destroying her and using her as a tool." He gestured at the two of them. "You think the Major places the same value on human life as we do?"

"Quite right," came a voice to their right.

Fernor and Uter spun around.

To discover an awkward-looking thin man racing towards them, sporting floppy brown hair and a bow-tie. He was waving around a small rod the glowed green at the tip.

"After all," he continued, waving it around the bomb, "she's already sacrificed one innocent to this war. What'll she care about a few more?" He checked the readings. "Interesting. Not your stock-standard sort of planetary bomb. Few special features built in. Hm…"

Uter whipped out a gun, kept the man covered. "Put your weapon down, sir," Uter demanded, "and step away from the bomb."

"This thing?" the man held out the tube. "It's not a weapon. It's a screwdriver."

Behind him, another man raced out of the trees. Someone… Uter and Fernor had seen once before.

"Jack has a weapon, of course," the man continued. "But he's promised not to use it." He grinned, then tucked the screwdriver away in his pocket, reached over — and forcibly shook the hands of the two men guarding the bomb. "Hello, I'm the Doctor! Jack I'm sure you already know."

Jack's eyes narrowed, jaw set with anger, as he stopped by Fernor and Uter.

"And we're here," the Doctor concluded, "because you stole our friend. And we want her back."

"Stole your 'daughter'," Jack muttered.

"Tomato tomauto," the Doctor muttered back.

Fernor and Uter looked at one another. Then at the two people who'd just accosted them.

And slowly began backing away.

"Wait, wait!" the Doctor insisted, holding up his hands. "We're not here for revenge." His voice dropped just a shade lower. "Even if what you did was one of the most cold, cruel, senseless acts of barbarism I've ever seen." His voice brightened, and he planted a smile on his face. "We're just here to pick her up and get her back to safety. So! If you could disarm your bomb…"

"Uh… Doctor?" Jack pointed at the space ship. "Even if  _we're_  not planning revenge… I'm guessing someone else is."

The ship was currently spasming.

The last three people inside fleeing for their lives, dense black clouds of smoke billowing from its interior, flashing warning lights and sirens echoing from the inside.

"Get away!" shouted Mindy Hannah. "It's gonna…!"

The space ship exploded.

The shock-wave throwing them back against the ground, tearing through the nearby trees.

"The bomb!" the Doctor cried, through the smoke and ash around them. He grabbed for it, then took a breath of relief. "Didn't trigger it."

Uter yanked back the bomb.

Trying to glare at the Doctor, while coughing through the smoke and dust.

"Revenge," Fernor choked out, through his own coughs. "That girl… wanted us down here. Together. With no escape. Whatever she's planning for us… it'll be a lot worse than cyber-conversion."

The dust settled, around them.

The ship still smoldering.

Major Pelor marched over. A darkness in her eyes that they'd never seen before. "No talk like that," Pelor announced. "She's dangerous. It's our duty to destroy her. No matter what that means to any survivors still on…"

She paused.

As the dust settled enough that she could see Jack getting up from the ground.

"Ah," said Major Pelor. "You, again."

Gariton, behind her, gave a little yelp. Cowered back, away from him.

"Yeah, me again." Jack folded his arms. "We didn't get a chance to talk much, last time. Probably had something to do with you pushing me into a swarm of Cybermen so you could take Seo's frozen body from me and run off with it."

The Major didn't answer.

"You survived?" Hannah said. Staring. "We thought… you were dead."

"Yeah, she tried to make real sure I was," Jack replied, pointing at Pelor. "You give the order to flush me out of that airlock, too?"

Gariton, behind them, turned and ran into the distance.

Jack didn't seem inclined to follow him.

"All right, break it up!" the Doctor shouted, barging into the middle of them all. "On a planet full of Cybermen, we need all the backup we can get." He turned to Major Pelor. "Now… Major, wasn't it? Let's think this through, a bit. No point in setting off any bombs, here — if she's not in weapon-mode, you'll be killing an innocent. If she  _is_ … then any bomb you set off is useless against her."

The Major didn't answer.

Lips in a thin line.

"Let's face it — you don't want to die with this planet," the Doctor pointed out. "Even if it  _is_  swarming with Cybermen."

"The Cyberplanner's on this planet," Uter replied. Holding the bomb a little tighter. "It's our duty to destroy the planet. Even at the cost of our own lives."

"Quiet, Uter," Pelor cut in.

Hannah, Uter, and Fernor all exchanged looks.

"That girl is dangerous, even when she isn't in weapon-mode," Pelor informed the Doctor. She glanced back at Jack. "You don't know what she's become since you left her."

Jack stared. "What she's…?!"

"Let me guess," said the Doctor. "Hollow. Empty. All traces of personality wiped away until she's just an empty shell."

Jack's jaw dropped.

"That's what this weapon does to her," the Doctor explained to everyone. "Physically, she's nearly invincible when she's in that mode. But leave her in it long enough… and anything that's 'Seo' in her will die." His voice lowered to a growl, as he turned on the five humans. "She  _helped_  you, and you put her through that."

"For the good of humanity," Pelor argued.

The Doctor surged forwards, finger in her face. "For  _your_  good, Major!" he said. "Oh, I know humanity's situation is desperate and everyone's scrambling to find some way to avoid blowing up this galaxy. And maybe that even excuses you from some of it! But  _you_ , Major, don't care about the galaxy — you just want to be honored as the venerated war hero who saved everyone! In it for the fame and the glory!"

"Whatever the reason behind my methods," Pelor replied, evenly, "my actions have still saved this galaxy. You can't deny that."

The Doctor met her eyes.

His own green and furious and intense.

"You have no idea," he hissed, "what you're dealing with."

"We… didn't  _mean_ to drain her personality," Hannah cut in. She sounded almost pleading. "That was an accident! We just needed some help against the Cybermen!"

"Some help?!" Jack leapt at Hannah. "She gave you help! You never thought to just  _ask_  instead of forcing her to…?!"

"Jack," the Doctor warned.

Jack backed off.

But kept a wary eye on them all.

"Major," the Doctor continued, turning back to Pelor. "The Weapon inside Seo's mind is more powerful and more terrifying than you could possibly imagine. The only thing able to keep it back is Seo. And now… you've nearly killed her."

Fernor shuddered. "She… warned us…"

"And you should have listened!" the Doctor snapped. "Because whatever you  _think_  the Weapon can do is  _nothing_  compared to what it'll do with no Seo left to stop it."

"I saved this galaxy!" Pelor insisted, staring down the Doctor.

He didn't back down. "No, Major," said the Doctor. "You've doomed the universe."

Uter fidgeted, nervously. "But your friend's personality isn't… exactly… gone, Doctor," he offered. "Not all the time. It's just… different."

The Doctor and Jack both turned to him.

"It started when the personality we knew had almost completely disappeared," Uter explained. "All of a sudden… some other personality showed up." He cringed. "A much colder, crueler, angrier one. It didn't come out all the time, but… when it did…" He shivered. "Something about it just… made the hairs on the back of our necks stand up."

"She kept screaming about 'her Key'," Mindy Hannah added. "And… revenge."

"There was something so… dark and predatory about that personality," Fernor said. "And powerful. You could feel it, just being near her when it surfaced."

The Doctor frowned.

Thinking this all through.

"We thought, maybe… that was the Weapon," said Uter. "In its raw state."

"What?" The Doctor shook his head. "No. Oh, no, that's not the Weapon. That's something else." He tapped his sonic screwdriver against his chin, as his mind whirled with possibilities and implications. "So… the Weapon burns away everything inside Seo… except itself. And  _her_. I wonder…"

His face grew very grave.

"Oh," he said. "Now that's a bad thought. A very,  _very_ bad thought."

"What?" said Jack.

The Doctor turned to Jack. "The Weapon burned away Seo," he said. "Her essence. Her  _soul_." He spun around, flipping settings on the sonic, frantically, as he began to run. "And that means our problems have just grown a whole lot worse."


	6. Chapter 6

The girl watched as data raced across the control panels and banks she'd just usurped from an abandoned human monitoring station.

Smile growing across her face.

"There," she said, very softly. Flicking a switch, to make the data stop. Traced her finger along one line of code, as she digested what it meant. A secretive, sly smile on her face. "Bingo. Pay-dirt."

"You will locate the error in programming that does not allow us to see you," the Cyberplanner commanded. "You will—"

The girl gave a long, exaggerated sigh.

Then began poking and prodding at the machinery, again. "I told you I  _would_. Keep your head-handles on!" She glanced back at the displays, as parts of the data were wiped — then replaced with her own. Smile widening. "I want you to hijack my brain as much as you do."

"That is not logical," one Cyberman to her right reported.

"She is not logical," the Cyberplanner replied. It turned back to the girl. "She believes she can overpower the Cyberplanner, and make the Cybermen worship her."

The girl didn't look up from her work.

"You might think that," she muttered.

"You will not be able to overcome the Cyberplanner," the Cyberplanner told her. "Your mind is weak."

The girl paused.

Her hands clenching into fists.

"Yeah," she hissed. "Weak. Crumbled away into nothing." In a burst of fury, she punched through the metal plating of the Cyberman beside her, ripping out his guts and shoving him away. "You wanna know what that's like, Cyberplanner?"

She spun around.

To face him.

"You wanna know how it feels to lose everything, over and over again?!" She stomped her foot so hard, the whole building shook around them. "There's a great big empty hole inside me, where there used to be a person. Wanna get inside my head and know how much it hurt, getting everything I was seared out of me?"

"Your emotions have made you—"

"Emotions?!" the girl surged forwards. "Don't you dare talk to  _me_  about emotions. Hell gods don't feel, you know. It's why they're never satisfied. Why they keep screwing with mortals or reaching for more and more power — just trying to find  _something_  to give themselves  _meaning_."

She stopped.

Her eyes burning.

"But I'm not a hell goddess," the girl said. "So I was  _happy_. I was  _satisfied_. I was a good person, a really  _nice_ person, with friends and a family and kindness enough to boot up your backside — and it made me feel things like love and warmth and that good tickling feeling inside you when you know you've saved people with no hope. Feeling like that… well, you can't imagine what a relief it was. Like… there was something I'd been missing forever, for eons before I ever existed — and the moment I was born, I found it."

"That is illogical," said the Cyberplanner.

"And now," said the girl, ignoring him, "I'm…"

She stopped.

Stepped back.

"Now I'm alone," said the girl, shivering. "No emotions except pain and sadness and hurt. And all I wanna do is tear out my hair and scream, because it's all too much and… I can't…"

A long moment of silence.

As she turned back to her work.

"I don't wanna feel like this anymore," said the girl, as she continued to fiddle around with the code. "I need it all to stop." She flicked another switch. "And the sooner I get you into my head, the sooner I can stop those feelings."

She finished her work in silence.

Her face long and stretched and filled with pain.

"Done," she said. Transmitting. "Every Cybermite around will be getting that message. The software patch you've been waiting for."

The Cybermites crawled out of the shadows. Crawling across the girl, not even aware she was there, as they surged towards the Cyberplanner.

Ready to install their update.

The girl smoothed out her hair, and struck a pose. "Gotta look my best," she said. "When you finally see me."

* * *

The Cyberplanner knew the Weapon would attempt to deceive the Cyber-race.

He went through the patch implanted into the Cybermites carefully, before accepting it. Made a few alterations, as he caught things the Weapon had tried to slip into the code.

She could not deceive the Cybermen.

The Cyberplanner slumped, as the patch installed. Then got back up, sensors returning online, as he took in his surroundings. And the faint, but present, image of…

Someone who looked human.

Standing in the center of the room. Blond hair, large brown eyes, freckles dotting her nose. She watched him with her arms crossed, a smile on her lips.

"Patch successful," said the Cyberplanner. "The Weapon… is… visible."

"Goody-goody me," said the girl. Slouched a bit, to her left. Tapped her own head. "You wanna do the honors? Or do I have to brain-suck you?"

The girl thought her mind was important to the Cyber-race. The Cyberplanner had no interest in her mind. She was useful only because of the Weapon inside of her.

They would find that Weapon.

Take it and use it to make the humans unable to resist cyberconversion.

The girl would become the slave of the Cyber-race.

"You will become like us," the Cyberplanner replied. Beaming out the patch to all Cybermen around him.

The Cybermites slithered over to her, now able to see and sense her.

The girl didn't resist them, as they burrowed deep into her mind, and slipped the Cyberplanner's programming inside.

"Time to get rid of the grief," she muttered.

* * *

The Doctor smacked himself on the forehead, as he ran towards the Cyberman stronghold. "Oh, Doctor, you idiot!" he shouted. "Why didn't you think of that? Glory planned this all! It'd be the perfect escape route!"

"Think of what?" Hannah called, as she ran behind Jack. "Doctor, what are you talking about?"

"Who's Glory?" Uter added.

The Doctor paused to checked a reading on his sonic. "Sonic's reading a power surge…" He spun. Pointed. "…that way."

Then continued to race off.

Shouting over his shoulder, as he went.

"Way back, when Seo was a baby," the Doctor explained, "she got merged with a very nasty hell goddess named Glory."

"Yeah, she got a bit of Hell Goddess mixed in, to make her a Weapon," Jack agreed. "I know that. But why…?"

"Think, Jack!" the Doctor said. "Those Monks wanted the Weapon in her head to activate at one precise moment. What was happening, at that moment?"

Jack shrugged. "A portal back to her own universe?"

"Yes. Convenient, don't you think?" said the Doctor. "A Weapon designed to kill off Seo's personality when it activated. Leaving Glory with the power to kill her ex-co-rulers. A portal to get home. No competition from any fake-Glories. And no more soul."

The more Jack thought about that, the less he liked it. "You think… this was meant to happen?"

"It's just clever enough and just evil enough to be one of Glory's plans," said the Doctor. He rubbed his head. "No idea how she could have done it, in the little time she had to flee Gallifrey. But… well, it makes sense, doesn't it?"

"Not to us, it doesn't," said Uter. "What do you mean, Hell Goddess?"

"Being from another dimension and another universe," the Doctor dismissed. "Unfathomably dangerous. And thoroughly evil. Even my people were terrified of her, and that's saying something."

"So Glory wanted this to happen earlier — back with the portal," Jack said, putting it all together in his head. "Except the Weapon didn't do as much damage to Seo as she thought. So she didn't actually get rid of Seo until…"

"Until these humans did the job for her," the Doctor confirmed. "Yes."

Mindy Hannah couldn't quite come to terms with it. "But… what does she want with Cyberplanner?"

"Control over an army," the Doctor said. "The ability to manipulate the Cybermen so she can tear open the universe and get home. And… if there's any Seo left in her at all… as a way to stop herself from  _feeling_. By destroying any residual trace of Seo's soul."

Jack stumbled, in place.

Breath catching, with every word the Doctor said.

"Doctor," Jack said. "We've got to stop Glory. Before she kills Seo."

"Yes, working on it," the Doctor said, pausing again to check the sonic.

He muttered something.

Then changed course.

"But if she's really that powerful," Mindy Hannah said, "then how can we hope to defeat both her  _and_ a Cyber-army, all at once?"

"I'm just hoping," the Doctor informed Mindy, "that there's still enough of Seo left to take back control. Some spark that you lot," gesturing at the soldiers, "didn't quite burn away, before…"

The Doctor stopped running.

Spun back around, to face the others. "Hang on. Where's Major Pelor — and the bomb?"

Hannah, Fernor, and Uter paused. Looking about themselves.

As they all realized… they were two people short.

"Gariton!" said Fernor. "And the Major! Where…?"

The Doctor sighed.

Then brushed past them all. "Fernor, you're with me. Jack — take the other two and see if you can't find Seo." He tossed Jack the sonic screwdriver.

Jack caught it.

Gave the Doctor a mock-salute.

Then turned to run off.

"And be careful, Jack!" the Doctor called after him.

"How much trouble can an immortal man really get into?" Jack called back, as he and the others raced out towards the signal.

"Against an immortal-killing weapon?" the Doctor muttered. "Rather a lot."

The Doctor turned back to Fernor.

"Now, as the sanest and least objectionable of your lot," the Doctor said to him, "tell me. Where would your Major have gone?"


	7. Chapter 7

Gariton stumbled, in the woods, as his arm was caught and he was yanked back.

A gun pointed squarely in his face.

"Tell me where you got it," Major Pelor demanded. "Now."

Gariton hesitated.

"Got… got…?" he tried.

Major Pelor grabbed him by the collar and thrust him against a tree. "You heard the Doctor," the Major said, through her teeth. "That girl's an unstoppable killer, and she's out of our control. Property of the Cybermen. That means the only way to stop her is to find the people who made her — and her Activator." She got right in his face. "So where did you get the Activator?!"

"I… I…" Gariton shuddered. "He wanted it back. That's why she showed up — to get  _me_!"

Major Pelor smacked him across the face.

"Don't play games with me, Gariton!" Pelor shouted. "The Activator was the only thing that could control that Weapon. Do you want to die?"

"No."

"So who'd you steal the Activator from?" Pelor demanded. "Who made the Weapon? Where can I find…?!"

"Good questions, all," the Doctor interrupted. Stepping out beside them, and — before she had time to react — grabbing the gun out of Pelor's hands. "And some of them, I'd quite like to know the answers to, myself."

He handed the gun to Fernor.

"The Activator doesn't control her," Gariton blubbered. "Not completely. Nothing can control her completely. That's what he told me, when he first showed up with it. She is the most dangerous—"

"Who told you?!" Pelor interrupted.

Gariton didn't answer.

"Who made her?" Pelor shouted. "How can we stop her from…?!"

"I don't know!" Gariton cried. "I never did. I just stole the Activator. We were losing against the Cybermen, and… when I heard about a Weapon that powerful… I knew we needed it! More than  _he_  did!"

"You  _stole_  it?" Fernor said.

"From whom?" the Doctor interrupted. "Not Seo's creators — they're all dead. And they'd never have created anything mechanical to control her, anyways. Not their style."

Pelor dropped Gariton.

Spinning around to face the Doctor. " _You_  know who created…?"

"If you're asking because you want another way to control her," the Doctor interrupted, with a wave of his hand, "don't bother. They didn't know any more than you, even when they built her."

He turned back to Gariton.

"But… this Activator…" the Doctor muttered. "Fernor said you used it to  _program_  her. And not even Seo could do that."

He planted a smile on his face, as he strode towards Gariton.

"Gariton, was it? Nice to meet you." The Doctor shook Gariton's hand. "I'm the Doctor. And if you want to save the universe, I think you better tell us about the Activator."

Gariton went very quiet.

Then, in a soft voice, "You mean… you don't know?"

"That's why I'm asking," said the Doctor.

"He said… he was on a mission," Gariton babbled. "Had to take the thing away from the person who'd made it. He told me about the Weapon's power! He told me what it could do. I was desperate, Doctor — we've thrown everything we can against the Cybermen, and nothing works! And I thought… no one in the universe could need that power more than  _us_."

"But who built the Activator?" the Doctor said. "Who could possibly manage to pull that off? Who'd even know enough about Seo  _to_ pull it off? And who is this mysterious 'he' you keep talking…?"

Gariton cowered away from him. "I'll give her back, if she's yours," he pleaded. "I'd give back the Activator, too, if she hadn't smashed it. Just tell him I didn't mean to do any harm! Tell him to call her off!"

The Doctor scratched his head. Thinking furiously.

"How'd you know it activated  _her_?!" Fernor demanded.

"He didn't," said Major Pelor. A proud smile on her face. "He told me it controlled a weapon able to defeat the Cybermen. I saw her abilities… and guessed."

"It was the Major who tried to kill your friend by throwing him into a crowd of Cybermen," Gariton agreed, hurriedly. "Not me! I didn't do anything!"

"I don't deny it," said Pelor. "I froze the Weapon. Jack wanted to take her from me. I did what I had to."

Fernor's eyes narrowed. "You didn't tell the rest of us about this."

"Did it matter, if we got the Weapon?" Pelor looked at him, steadily. "Whatever my motives, Fernor, my actions were right. They always are."

Before anyone could stop her, she'd thrown herself at Fernor, grabbing for the gun. He wrestled her for control of it, the two rolling across the ground.

It went off.

And Gariton cried, slumping down with his hands against his chest.

"No!" the Doctor shouted. Caught Gariton before he fell, checking him over. Then… grimaced. "You're… going to be fine," he lied. Putting pressure on the wound. "Just breathe. Keep calm."

But Gariton didn't have long.

And they both knew it.

"Please," the Doctor said. "For the sake of the universe. Who is this 'he'? Where'd you get that Activator?"

Gariton stared at the Doctor, through pain and blood loss.

"You… really don't… know?" Gariton gasped. Grabbed the Doctor's arms, in a death-grip. "You really don't know!"

"No, I really don't!" the Doctor said, easing him to the ground.

From behind him, Fernor shouted out, as he managed to wrench the gun from Major Pelor. Charged it, pointing it at her head.

"Kill me, and the bomb goes off," Pelor threatened. She showed him her activation-signal. "I've got it set on a timer — my bargaining chip if the Weapon comes for me. Only I can stop it."

"He was transporting the Activator to give it to… 'someone else' who wanted to control her," gasped Gariton. "Someone he was working for. I thought… when  _you_  showed up here… that 'someone else' was you. Except… it isn't. Because you don't know."

"Don't know what?!" the Doctor shouted. "Who is he?!"

Fernor stared at Major Pelor. "Are you insane?!" he cried. "That's no threat to her! Bombs won't kill her!"

"Most bombs don't," Pelor agreed. "Mine will. I  _know_  it. She will, too."

"I say I 'stole' the Activator," Gariton gasped out. Clinging to the Doctor even tighter. "But… that's… an exaggeration. He… practically left it for me. Like he  _wanted_  me to have it. I thought it was a gift. And when he showed up, the second time — I was  _sure_  he wanted to help us!"

"Who?!" the Doctor shouted. "I need… to know… who…"

The Doctor stopped.

Frozen.

As he worked it out.

"But when we tried to take the girl, he got angry," Gariton said. His voice growing weaker and weaker. "Followed us. Tried to stop us. I realized… I must have got it wrong. He brought her here… so she could get rid of me. Get rid of all of us. I stole his Activator, and… he wanted… it back…!"

"So you flushed him out the airlock, didn't you?" the Doctor muttered. Shook his head. "Oh, Jack. What have you done?"

"Don't trust him," Gariton warned. "He doesn't care about her! He… he's…"

The voice died away.

As Gariton died.


	8. Chapter 8

The Cyberplanner had sent a spark of its consciousness into the girl's mind. And when that spark came to, it found the mind… dark.

It found… nothing.

Any visible neural processes shot by too fast to process. Then disappeared from sight. Bits and pieces of her shot by and then flooded back, popping into and out of existence until it became an abstract blur — a computation of probabilities and nothing more.

Nothing was logical.

Nothing was definite.

"Oh, that just  _blows_!"

The Cyberplanner only saw her in silhouette. In the shape of a human with grey eyes and curly blond hair, wearing a sleek red dress and heels.

She was plagued by the weakness that was emotions.

The main emotion — at the moment — seeming to be utter and complete fury.

"All that, and you can't even see me!" the woman stomped her foot, hard, against the ground of her mind. "Way to screw up the whole friggin' plan, cyber-loser."

"Your brain is not logical," the Cyberplanner reported. Its programming kept trying to latch onto her mind, but couldn't get a firm enough grip.

Perhaps… if it went round the back…

"No, my brain's totally logical," the woman insisted. "It's just dimensionally weird. You'd be able to process it fine —  _if_  you'd known the geography of a Time Lordy type brain, before you showed up here." She slumped against the ground. "Where are my father and Jenny when you need them?"

The Cyberplanner said nothing.

It had already begun to sneak around the side of the girl's mind. Probing and prodding. It could not keep a firm enough grip to absorb the thoughts or use the neural passages, but… it could sense something, nearby.

Something powerful.

Something only just barely being held back.

"I just feel so… so…!" The woman fished for the right word. But decided, instead, to illustrate the point by yanking a shoe off her foot and hurling it at the Cyberplanner. "I just hate this! I hate those humans! I hate this weapon! And I hate  _you_!" Her voice mounted into a scream. "You self-absorbed, stuck up freak! Not even able to friggin take over my mind correctly and stop this  _pain_!"

She gave another piercing scream.

Grabbing her curly blond hair, her voice cracking in something between fury and a desperate sob.

"There's this horrible twisting feeling of guilt and misery and grief, deep down in my chest, and I can't make it go away!" the woman cried. "They murdered me! I died — I felt myself dying — but I'm still here and I just… it doesn't make sense! None of it makes sense! Except that I need these feelings to go away!"

The Cyberplanner watched as something drifted into view.

A ghostly image, lying on the floor — almost completely faded into nothing, but… just barely hanging on. It looked like the girl had on the outside, blond hair and deep brown eyes.

She looked as if she were about to blow away on the wind.

The woman leaned down over the girl, tenderly. "Look at her — she's  _me_ ," said the woman. "Except… except  _I'm_  me. I think. I should be. But I'm not. There was all this good stuff inside of me — sweetness and kindness and worry and concern and saving the universe. I liked that. It was my world. But then I ran into the Cybermen, and now… I feel…"

Her eyes misted, a little.

As she tried to hold the girl, and… there wasn't enough left to touch.

"You really want this Weapon, Cyberplanner?" the woman said. Her voice shaking. "Because… gotta tell you… it  _burns_. Every time it activates. Burns bits away from everyone who uses it." She gave a bitter laugh. "Twilight wasn't so insane at first, you know. Not until a few times, trying to use this weapon thing. It burned pieces of him away, too."

The Cyberplanner did not care.

Cyberplanners did not feel pain. Or… 'burning'.

"Burns away everyone… except me," the woman breathed. "And… I don't know why." The woman swallowed, hard. "She is me. There's no reason I should be alive when she's dead. I don't want to…"

The Cyberplanner could sense, way in the back of her mind, a sealed-off section, hastily plugged up. It leaked, overloading, straining to break free. Locked away through sheer force of will.

But only just barely.

"So I thought — revenge," said the woman. Getting back to her feet. "Make those bastards who killed me suffer. I built my revenge into the patch you beamed to your Cybermen."

"Revenge is not logical," the Cyberplanner said.

The woman didn't answer.

Her eyes fixed down on the ghost-image, by her feet.

"Doesn't stop the grief," she muttered. "Does it?"

She looked back up.

Eyes fixed on the Cyberplanner.

"Someone I knew died, before I came to the Cyberwars," the woman said. "The kind of hurt I felt over losing her… I thought nothing could top that." Her voice drifted off. "But then… those humans killed me. And I found out… I was wrong."

Her eyes drifted back down to the ghost-girl.

"I can't go on like this," the woman said. "Losing me… or losing  _her_ , or whatever is going on… it's too much. I don't know who I am, I don't know why I'm alive, and I don't care. Because I'm dead — she's dead — and now I'm drowning in this pit of hurt and pain and loss. And I can't get over it!"

She paused.

Her voice suddenly growing furious, as she turned on the Cyberplanner.

"Which is where you were supposed to come in," she said. Stalking over to him, eyes glowing in the dark. "That was the plan, Cybee-whybee. You were  _supposed_  to stop the pain!" She reached out and yanked him off the ground in her mind. Her mental self growing big beyond belief. "But, turns out, you're just some metal monkey who's too rusty and stupid to process my brain!"

"The Cyberplanner conquers all."

"Except me?!" The woman threw him down, and he fell… further and further, faster and faster, until he thudded against something he couldn't quite see. And she was on him again, in a flash.

Kicking him back with a ferocity he'd rarely encountered before.

"You go through the universe," the woman screamed, punching him with a right hook, "terrorizing and murdering and converting people against their will. And the one person who  _wants_ to get a little of your programming inside her head… is unreadable?!"

A left hook, slamming into his metal jaw.

"You rusted out piece of crap!" the woman shrieked. "You were the only hope I had left, and you cheated me. Now, I have  _nothing,_  and it's  _all your fault_!"

She hurled him through the air, making him crash down on the other side of her mind.

And was on him again in seconds.

"You and those stupid humans and your stupid war," the woman snapped. "Who cares if humanity gets wiped out? Or the Cyber-race? There was only one thing I ever cared about — and your war destroyed her." She punched at his head, smashing it in. "So if you can't read me enough to give me my friggin' life back… I'm gonna wipe out every human and every Cyberman in the universe. Which means, if you want to survive, you better—!"

The Cyberplanner had already spread through the back of her mind, though.

And the mechanisms there had just punctured through the last set of defenses, holding back the weapon inside.

The Cyberplanner grinned, as it began to morph. Assimilating the data, as the shadow swept out and through the girl's mind.

"Assimilating Weapon Mode," the Cyberplanner reported.

The woman spun around.

Too late.

The Weapon crashed across them like a tidal wave, tearing through every mental process she had. The woman shrieked, lunging out to catch something…

But the last remnants of the ghostly girl's body had already been swallowed up by the blackness.

And were gone.

The girl completely burned away.

"No!" the woman cried. Scrabbling for any remnant left. "No, no, no!"

"Assimilation of Weapon Mode—"

The woman surged at the Cyberplanner, but it was already latching onto the Weapon Persona inside of her. Managed to catch the woman and shove her back.

"Your mind is ours, now," said the Cyberplanner. "The Weapon is ours."

The woman stared.

Then… something inside her snapped.

And she just lost it.

Tearing at her hair, screaming incomprehensibly, hurling anything she could find at the walls of her mind like someone possessed.

"That's it!" she said, reaching into a pocket. "I've HAD IT with people SCREWING with my HEAD! I've HAD IT with being the only thing left alive after it's all BURNT and DEAD in here!"

"Resistance is—"

"Resistance?!" the woman said. "You think I CARE enough about the universe to resist you?" She spun around, a small object in her hands. "I lost everything and it  _hurts._  And if you can't take that away…" Her voice went quiet, shaking with grief, "then… I need to be alone."

She began to walk quickly away, fading out as she went.

"You want the Weapon?" the woman called back, as she left. "Go ahead. Take it! But when you finally figure out what you've unleashed, without me around to hold it back… DON'T COME CRYING, BECAUSE I DON'T CARE!"

Then she disappeared.

The mind finally empty of everything except the Weapon. And the Cyberplanner.

Which was when the shadow of the Weapon noticed the Cyberplanner. And turned on it, sharply.

Then, in a sudden burst of force, the Weapon surged at the Cyberplanner. Tore through it like fire, trying to burn away anything inside of it.

The Cyberplanner tried to jerk out of the Weapon's grip. It tried to get away.

But the Weapon was spreading, faster and faster, now. Eating away anything and everything in its path.

_When you finally figure out what you've unleashed, without me to hold it back…_

This was the first time the Cyberplanner realized… just what he'd stumbled across. What the humans had stumbled across. And why leaving the Weapon to run through its programming in an empty shell of a body might be a  _very bad idea_.

The Weapon was revenge.

Destruction.

Fury.

It was raw, bitter, unstoppable.

Too powerful for Twilight to control. Too powerful for the Monks of the Order of Dagon to understand. Too powerful for even the Hell Goddess Glorificus to properly program.

Death was coming. Death for all.

And the Cyberplanner was staring at it, inside the icy blackness of the Weapon.

"Retreat," the Cyberplanner said.

Then turned and hurled itself from the girl's mind, fast as it could go.

"Retreat!" the Cyberplanner shouted, as close to panic as it could get. "Retreat!"

Its pleas fell on deaf ears.

As the Weapon cut off its retreat. And — with no effort at all — crushed the spark of Cyberplanner in the girl's mind completely out of existence.

* * *

Outside the girl's mind, in the real world, the rest of the Cyberplanner jolted.

The transmission to the fragment of itself inside the girl's mind had just broken off, crushed out of existence. Leaving the full, outside-world Cyberplanner alone, struggling to process and comprehend what it had learned in the girl's mind.

The girl was gone, forever. Burned away.

The curly-haired woman had retreated from the outside world, to wallow in her grief.

Which meant… there was no personality left inside that body.

Just the Weapon.

And…

The Weapon…

Was…

"Retreat," said the Cyberplanner, in the outside world. Suddenly gripped by the closest thing to fear that it had ever felt, since conversion. "Retreat!" It ran, fast as it could, towards the space docks. It had to get off-world. All Cybermen had to get off-world. All Cybermen had to run and run until they couldn't go any further. "Retreat! Retreat! We must survive!"

The Cyberplanner's backup systems whirred as they downloaded the Cyberplanner backup program into the Cybermites, just in case. Even if this physical body was destroyed, the Cyberplanner would live on. The Cyberplanner was eternal.

"We must survive," the Cyberplanner said. "We must—!"

A fist punched through the Cyberplanner's head. A scream of circuits and sparks tearing through the Cyberplanner's skull, as organic hands grabbed hold of the wiring inside his casing.

The girl didn't speak.

Her eyes were empty.

But her actions were precise, deliberate, and well calculated. The Cyberplanner didn't have a moment to react, before everything had changed.

And she had already forced him to send an upgrade across the entire Tiberion Galaxy. To all Cybermen. Everywhere.

 _Her_  upgrade.


	9. Chapter 9

Jack stalked forwards, trying to avoid being spotted by Cybermen. Beside him, Mindy Hannah and Uter crept in the shadows, guns out — although they wouldn't help much.

"You'd think a Cyberman fighting platoon would have better guns," Jack muttered at them, as he darted into an alleyway to avoid a cluster.

They followed.

"We didn't need guns," Uter said. "We had something better."

Jack gritted his teeth.

Hated hearing them talk about Seo like she was an object.

"I know you're angry, but… think about it!" Mindy Hannah told him. Looking around herself, edgy. "There's  _nothing_  that can defeat these Cybermen. They just keep coming and coming, and everything that we throw bounces off them. We finally find a Weapon that can kill them. And you say we shouldn't use it?!"

"You doomed the universe," Jack growled. "You doomed the human race!"

"We… we… didn't know about that!" Mindy Hannah insisted. "How could we? Hell Goddesses? Magic Monks?! You think we could have  _guessed_  anything like that?"

"She  _warned_  you!" Jack said.

"Yes, and we all thought she was just spouting one of those cult legends from the Korjensky Star System, in the Milky Way," Uter said. He shook his head. "I still don't know how much I believe. I mean," with a sideways glance at Jack, "goddesses? Souls? Are you sure this 'Doctor' of yours is right in the head?"

Jack opened his mouth to retort.

But before he could, Mindy broke in, with a scream.

Her gun dropping to the ground.

Jack and Uter swung around. Saw the tails of two Cybermites, flicking one last time, before crawling into Mindy's ears.

Uter aimed his gun at Mindy.

"Whoa, whoa!" Jack said, grabbing Uter's gun-arm. "What the—?"

"I know what this means," said Uter. "The Cyberplanner's dead, and he's looking for a new host. It'd be better for everyone if we just killed her, now, before—"

But Uter dropped his gun, with a shriek.

As a swarm of Cybermites soon encompassed him, as well.

Jack jumped back, shaking out his hand and shaking a few Cybermites off him. Could only stare at the two of them, both collapsed onto the ground and writhing in agony.

Trying to think of anything he could do besides just run.

Funny thing was… while the Cybermites had leapt right for Mindy and Uter… they didn't seem remotely interested in Jack. Just crawled over him, like he wasn't there.

To get to Mindy and Uter.

Jack thanked his lucky stars for that one.

"Nothing left for it," Jack told himself, turning on his heel. "Gotta split. Find Seo, before—"

A groan and a "What the hell?" from Mindy Hannah, behind him, stopped Jack in his tracks.

Jack glanced back.

Watching as, for no apparent reason… the Cybermites climbed back out of Mindy and Uter. Scuttled across the ground. And disappearing into the nearby buildings, without a trace.

Leaving Mindy and Uter panting and shaken.

But… incredibly… unharmed.

"We're… we're alive!" Uter gasped, not sure he believed it. "What… what was…?"

"They must have… started some kind of automatic process in our minds!" Mindy said, putting her hands to her head. "So we don't notice, as the Cyberplanner takes us over!"

"But I don't  _feel_  anything alien inside my head!" Uter insisted. He stared at where the Cybermites had vanished. "The Cybermites… didn't do anything. They were inside our heads, and I didn't feel them do anything at all!"

Mindy turned back to Uter. Wide eyes. "It could be a trick. Lull us into a false sense of security, and then…!"

"They don't need tricks!" Uter shouted, jumping to his feet. He gritted his teeth. "The best weapon we had against them is now on their side. What's to stop them Cyberconverting the whole human race?"

"I…" Mindy winced. Hand against her head, a glimpse of pain running through her. But dismissed it, as she got up, too. "I don't…"

The charging of energy weapons around them made them finally notice their surroundings.

At which point they realized they'd all three been surrounded by Cybermen.

"You will be cyber-converted," the Cybermen said. "You will become like…"

Then the Cybermen stopped.

As, in the sky, the sun seemed to ripple.

The Cybermen all paused. "Upgrade in progress."

"Get away!" Jack screamed at Mindy and Uter, shoving them out of the circle of Cybermen. He raced ahead, gun drawn and ready, military greatcoat flapping in the wind. "Move it!"

Around them, across the whole city and maybe even the whole world, the Cybermen had paused. In the middle of a massive upgrade.

* * *

A long ways away…

"Majesty," said a soldier, approaching the Emperor. He knelt down before the imperial throne. "The Cybermen in the Tiberion Spiral Galaxy are… acting… strangely."

The Emperor frowned. Got up from his throne. "Show me."

Seconds later, the Emperor was on the command deck, eyes scanning over readings and monitors and displays from every front of the war.

"The Cybermen have all just… stopped," the soldiers informed their emperor. "Some massive upgrade in progress."

In response, the human ground-troops were trying to take advantage. Kill off as many of the metal bastards as they could.

Some looked like they couldn't believe this was their lucky day.

But the Emperor knew better.

This wasn't luck.

It was a sign of something a lot worse.

"What kind of upgrade?" the Emperor demanded. "What are they…?"

Then the Cybermen twitched. Jerked back to life, all at once, across everywhere and everything. But their movements — once fast — were now faster than ever before, as Cybermen shot across the screens too fast for the human eye to process.

The Cybermen were all saying something, in voices too low to pick up.

"What are they saying?" the Emperor demanded. "Amplify it!"

The soldiers on the command deck scurried to work.

Boosting up the volume and focusing the words until the Emperor could it clearly. Through the cacophony of screams and gunshots and terrified civilians. That metallic voice of the Cybermen, coming through the speakers.

A jumble of new messages.

New words, unlike any ever uttered by a Cyberman, before.

And a new viciousness, to accompany them.

"What?!" said the Emperor. "What the hell is going on?!"

One Cybervoice echoed through the speakers, clearer than all the others. The voice of the Cyberplanner — wherever he was hiding out.

"Glorious," the Cyberplanner said. "Glorious."

* * *

"Ouch!" Mindy cried, clutching her head, again.

Uter had started doing it, too. Wincing, and trying to ignore the pain.

"If you're gonna turn into Cybermen, get it over with," Jack snapped. Tearing forwards, ahead of them. He really hoped this upgrade wasn't something to do with Seo. If Glory had already managed to use the Cyberplanner to kill Seo for good…

Jack couldn't think about that.

Couldn't think he'd failed one more person, after everything that had happened on Earth.

"Come on, we don't have all day!" Jack shouted at Uter and Mindy. "Those metal guys behind us could spring to life at any moment, and…!"

The Cybermen, all around them, jerked back to awareness.

"Love," they said, in unison.

Turning on Jack, Uter, and Mindy, advancing forwards slowly, gun arms raised.

"…love?" Jack muttered, looking them over.

"But this… this isn't like them!" Mindy panted, through the pain in her head. "Cybermen don't talk about love. And… and… they're usually faster than this! Why…?"

A group of Cybermen appeared, as if from nowhere, blocking their path, up ahead. Jack darted away, tugging the others alongside him, switching directions and instead running to the left.

Shots were fired, just missing Uter, who rolled out of the way, sprang back to his feet, and fired three shots behind himself. Continuing to race after Jack.

"Love… her…" the Cyberman demanded.

"Love her?" Jack repeated. He stole a glance back at the Cybermen. "What's gotten into them?"

He was answered by more shots from the slow-advancing Cybermen.

Each blasting through a wall, nearby, the impact beam just barely missing Uter and Hannah.

"They're not shooting at him!" Uter said, pointing at Jack. They stumbled as they ran into another group of Cybermen, right in front of them, and changed direction. This time running to the left. "What's…?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Mindy spat. She gritted her teeth, pain flooding her features for just a moment, before it was gone. "The upgrade to the Cybermen. It's not from the Cyberplanner! It's coming from  _her_! This is her revenge!"

Jack felt something cold run through him.

No.

Couldn't be.

But it made sense.

If Glory had succeeded… if Seo was dead for good… what else would a hell goddess program her army to say?

_Love… her…_

"You can't be serious!" Uter said.

"Think about it, Uter," Mindy snapped. Just barely ducking out of the way of another blast. "She's bested every Cyberman she's ever come across. You think the Cyberplanner would even be a  _challenge_?"

They could see Cybermen, waiting to cut them off, up ahead.

And switched directions.

"She's playing with us," said Mindy. "Herding to wherever she's hiding out, now. And trust me, Uter, whatever that girl's got planned for us — it'll be a hell of a lot worse than being turned into a Cyberman. We hurt her, and she's not about to let us forget—"

Jack looked up at the sky.

No longer that interested in what these two had to say.

He squinted. No, that definitely wasn't his imagination. Something was happening to the sun. Like the whole thing was writhing and rippling in a completely unnatural way.

"Death is here," the Cybermen around them chanted, in unison. "Death for all. Glorious death."

The sun rippled and writhed, again.

And Jack shuddered.

They'd come too late to save Seo.

That bright, bubbly kid, sweet and kind and thoughtful but stubborn and determined and brave… all burned away. Leaving behind nothing but a hell goddess.

Who now had a Cyber-army at her disposal.

"And the Cybermen seemed unstoppable, before," Jack muttered. He shook his head. "Just how the hell are we supposed to defeat them, now?"


	10. Chapter 10

 

The Doctor let go of Gariton's body and jumped to his feet, the moment he heard shrieks from Fernor and Major Pelor, behind him.

Spun around.

To discover Cybermites flooding straight into Fernor and Pelor's heads.

"The bomb!" the Doctor sprinted forwards, kneeling down to tear the Cybermites off Major Pelor, fast as he could. "Major! Listen to me! Before you turn into a Cyberman — you've  _got_  to deactivate that bomb!"

The Cybermites, as if reacting to the Doctor's touch, suddenly left Pelor and Fernor's minds. Trickling away from the two and disappearing out of sight as fast as those things had first appeared.

Leaving Pelor and Fernor gasping, but… far as the Doctor could see… unharmed.

Which didn't make sense… unless…

"Unless the Cybermites weren't sent by the Cyberplanner, at all," the Doctor muttered, eyes still on the spot where the bugs had vanished. He grabbed up Pelor's dropped gun and hopped back to his feet, reaching for his sonic — but remembered that Jack had it.

And sighed, resorting to disassembling it and reassembling it by hand. Fast as he could go.

"One thing a Cybersnipe can do," the Doctor muttered, chucking away the ammo, "aside from that rather dreadful bang shooty thing," tweaking the internal wiring, fast as his fingers could manage, "is, with the right persuasion…"

He finished his reconstruction of the device.

"Identify lingering Cybermite traces," the Doctor said, raising it up to his face. "And Cyber-technology, inside the brain."

He looked through the scope.

Focusing it on Major Pelor and Fernor, who were both getting up from the ground, trying to reorient themselves. They both seemed dazed — or maybe in a trance.

But the Doctor could spot no trace of Cyber-technology in their minds.

"Oh dear," the Doctor muttered, lowering the scope. "I was really hoping I was wrong…"

As if to confirm the Doctor's worst fears, the sky suddenly began to ripple. The Doctor looked up, and watched as the sun began to writhe and pulse in an entirely unnatural way.

"But… why the Cybermites?" the Doctor said, thinking furiously. "Manipulating the universe I can understand. Even gathering energy to create another portal — that could have been hard-wired in, before Seo was ever born." He scratched his head. "But the Cybermites…!"

Major Pelor glared.

Then rushed him, side-butting the Doctor out of the way so she could grab back the Cybersnipe.

She leveled the gun directly at the Doctor's head.

"You know how the Weapon was created," Pelor spat. "So tell me how to get her back under control. Or you die."

The Doctor waggled a finger at her. "Good point. Brilliant point! Control. Who's controlling her? Because if it's Glory, then… well, I'd expected her to at least move to a spacio-temporal weak-point to open her portal. Instead of staying here."

"Doctor!" Major Pelor shouted.

"After all, if she uses up all Seo's Key energies  _creating_  the portal in the first place," the Doctor continued to muse, "she'll never have enough to direct herself back to the correct universe and unseat her two rivals. Unless…"

He stared at Major Pelor.

"The bomb," the Doctor breathed, as he worked it all out. "I said it didn't look ordinary. You've been tampering with it, to make sure it'd destroy Seo. Across all dimensions."

And he could see exactly how she'd figured it out.

After so long trying to find the secrets behind… whatever that Activator was… well, Pelor was many things. But she wasn't one to miss an opportunity.

Take just a trace of whatever had been inside that Activator…

Fit it into a planetary bomb…

"How can we control the Weapon?!" Major Pelor demanded.

"You  _can't_  control it!" the Doctor shouted back. "You should never have been able to in the first place! And all you've done, with that bomb of yours, is help Glory destroy the universe!" Anger flared through him, as he shouted, "Now shut it down!"

"So you're saying you don't know how to control her?" Pelor sighed. "You're useless."

And pulled the trigger on the Cybersnipe.

Nothing happened.

Major Pelor frowned. Pulling the trigger again. "Doctor, what did you do to my…?!"

Fernor took advantage of the distraction.

Leapt at Pelor, tackling her to the ground. Pelor tried to strike back at him, but he wrestled her into a headlock. Wouldn't let her go.

"I should have turned you over to the Emperor when I had the chance," Fernor growled at her. "The Doctor knows what he's talking about, Major! He knows more about this situation than any of us!"

"That bomb's my bargaining chip," said Major Pelor. "And my insurance. Trust me, that girl might be able to suck all the energy out of regular explosions… but not this one."

"No," the Doctor agreed. "But then… she wouldn't have to." He stepped forwards, his voice growing dark. "If you've modified that bomb the way I think you have… she won't need to absorb anything. Just the right application of energies, and she'll turn that explosion into a gigantic portal!" He threw open his arms, to illustrate. "Everything will collapse! All universal gateways and barriers will break down!"

Pelor laughed. "Ridiculous."

"For the universe's sake — listen to him!" Fernor shouted. "That girl knew, the moment she fell into enemy hands, we'd use the planetary bomb. Don't you think she'd have a plan for it?"

The Doctor frowned.

"Another aspect of the plan specific to this situation," the Doctor muttered. "But… if she couldn't control the Weapon, before, then how's she managed to reprogram it  _now_? Unless…"

He paused.

As a thought crept into his mind.

"The Activator," the Doctor said, to Fernor and Pelor. "When she took the Activator from you and left. Did she destroy it completely? Or did she remove something from it, first?"

Fernor thought back, but winced in sudden pain, as something flared through his head.

Pelor sucked in a sharp breath, as she felt the pain, too.

"I… don't know," said Fernor, struggling to keep his hold on the Major, even through the pain. "Gariton was alone with her, when it happened. We didn't see."

The Doctor looked up at the writhing sun.

And figured… he already knew the answer.

"Glory couldn't reprogram the Weapon by herself," said the Doctor. "But… using bits of that Activator… she could finally gain full control over the Weapon. Make sure every single bit of that power was at her fingertips, all the time."

And Glory with that much power… on top of the powers she still had as a hell goddess… and the powers she had from Seo's being the Key…

Well.

That was another  _very_  bad thought.

"But it all hinges around that bomb," the Doctor said. Stepping towards Pelor. "Major, for the sake of everything across every universe in existence…  _disable that bomb_!"

The Major didn't answer, as another pain swept through her.

"Major!" the Doctor screamed. Grabbed up her head, trying to shake some sense into her. "Are you listening to me? The Cybermen will be here any second! And if you don't disable that bomb before they get here…!"

The Doctor felt heat from an energy weapon, searing just over his head.

Colliding with the tree nearest the three of them, and slicing its trunk in two. It toppled, then began to crash to the ground…

"Move!" the Doctor cried, yanking Fernor and Pelor out of the way.

As the top of the tree crashed to the ground, nearby, with a thud that shook the entire forest around them.

The sound of another energy weapon charging, and the Doctor spun around.

To find himself facing down a Cyberman who'd just emerged through the trees.

"Too late," the Doctor muttered, raising up his hands and backing away.

Fernor grabbed for the dropped Cybersnipe and shot at the Cyberman. Then swore, as he remembered that the Doctor had disabled the gun.

"Now, listen," the Doctor told the Cyberman. "I know why you're here, but you can't—!"

"Love…" the Cyberman said, voice empty and hollow.

All three of them froze, at the word.

Staring.

"I'm sorry?" said the Doctor.

"Love?!" Fernor cried. "Doctor, what's wrong with…?"

"Love her," said the Cyberman, again. Keeping its gun trained on them. "You will… love… her…"

Major Pelor took advantage of the other two, and punched Fernor in the face, kneeing the Doctor in the stomach and shoving him away from her. She grabbed the Cybersnipe from where Fernor had dropped it, on the ground.

Waited as Fernor hurled himself at her, again.

And slammed the butt of it into his head, so he dropped like a stone.

Pelor, now alone, turned to the Cyberman.

A proud smile on her lips.

"Before you kill me, there's something you should tell your precious leader," said Major Pelor. "There's a bomb on this planet. One that'll destroy even her."

The Cyberman paused.

Processing.

"Correct," said the Cyberman.

"And only  _I_ can disable it," said Major Pelor. "So if you love that Weapon so much, you better send her a message. Either she gets over here to strike a deal, or I'll—"

The beam of the Cyberman's weapon flashed.

And Major Pelor fell, dead, to the ground.

"You do not love her," the Cyberman said. "You will be deleted."

Fernor stared. Horrified. "You stupid Cyberman!" he shouted. "She was the only one who could stop that bomb! Why would you…?"

"Because Glory  _wants_  it to explode, Fernor!" the Doctor snapped. Waving his hands at Fernor. "Haven't you listened to anything I've said?! She's trying to destroy your universe, to get back to her old one!"

"Negative," said the Cyberman.

The Doctor froze, his hands in mid-gesture.

Turned back to the Cyberman.

"I'm sorry?" said the Doctor.

"The Mortal Vessel is empty," said the Cyberman. "There will be death. Death for all."

The Doctor's mind began racing. As he took in what the Cyberman had just told him.

"Vessel?" said Fernor. "What vessel?"

"The Mortal Vessel is empty," the Cyberman repeated. "The Weapon program states that when the Mortal Vessel is empty, the skies of Sunnydale will open, and the Goddess will return."

"The skies of… where?" said Fernor. Shook his head, barely stopping himself from crying out as pain swept through him, yet again. "Sunnydale? I've never heard of that planet!"

"Residual programming," the Doctor said. "As if… the program built into the Weapon is running itself." He shook his head. "But… that's impossible! That doesn't make sense. How could it possibly…?"

The Cyberman charged up his gun.

Pointing it directly at the Doctor.

"You," said the Cyberman. "You are a known enemy of the Cybermen."


	11. Chapter 11

 

The Doctor paused.

Putting on a sheepish grin.

"Sure you got that right?" the Doctor asked. "I think a little of your programming got mixed up, during your latest upgrade."

"You are a threat," said the Cyberman. "You will be deleted."

Fernor yanked the Doctor out of the way of the Cyberman's shot, as it blazed past.

And straight into another tree.

"Look back in your databases, again!" the Doctor shouted, steadying himself. "Do I look like a blue-eyed, blond haired female Slayer?" He pointed a finger at the Cyberman. "Check your programming, Cyberman! Buffy Summers —  _she's_  the biggest threat to that portal in Sunnydale!" He gestured at himself. "And I am, most emphatically, not her."

The Cyberman halted.

Its processors whirring, confused.

"What's it…?" Fernor started.

The Doctor shushed him. "If I'm right, there are at least three different programs being run through the Cybermen, simultaneously," he explained. "All contradicting one another. I'm guessing that the Cybermen are having a hard time figuring out which to follow, and which not to."

"You… are… a Time Lord," the Cyberman said, lowering the gun a little, as it struggled to figure out what to do. "You are the Doctor. You are… unknown humanoid male. You are an enemy of… not enemy of… unknown… not found…" It took a step forwards. "You are… a Time Lord. You are not Martha Jones."

The Doctor blinked. "I'm sorry?! Martha?!"

The Cyberman paused a moment.

Then surged for the Doctor, grabbing him up by the shoulder.

Suddenly sure of what to do.

"You will be taken to the city," the Cyberman decided. "You will be converted."

Fernor reached out to grab the Doctor back, but suddenly cried out in pain, as it tore through his entire body.

The Doctor struggled, but the Cyberman's grip was too tight. As the Cyberman began to drag him through the forest.

One chance.

"No need!" the Doctor insisted. "I already worship her! Most beautiful, splendid, spectacular goddess in all of creation, that's what I say!"

The Cyberman stopped marching.

Processors whirring inside its head, as it absorbed this new information.

"In fact, Fernor and I were just saying that we want to join her army," the Doctor continued, with a grin. "Sign us up! Front of the list."

The Cyberman was very still for another moment.

Then let the Doctor go.

"Conversion for unidentified humanoid not required," the Cyberman decided. "You are already like us."

The Doctor breathed a sigh of relief.

Looked like the Cybermen hadn't figured out that their newest mission could be buggered up by people lying. Least, not yet.

Or…

Or was the Cyberman implying that this  _wasn't_  like Mercy in the 19th century, taking over the Cybermen? 'The Mortal Vessel', the Cyberman had said. Almost as if…

But that would mean…

"You will join her army," the Cyberman said to the Doctor. "You will help Death come to all."

The Doctor beamed at the Cyberman. "Oh, I'll pop by in a bit," he said. Then, glancing back behind him… "And what about my mate, Fernor, over there? He wants to join up, too."

Fernor screamed.

Dropping to the ground in sudden agony, clutching his head.

"Negative," said the Cyberman. "He has already been deleted."

"Already been…?" the Doctor began.

Cut off by another scream from Fernor.

And the Doctor turned on his heels, racing back to help the poor man.

"Doctor," Fernor whimpered. "It… it…  _burns_!"

"It…?" The Doctor glanced up at the Cyberman, again.

But the Cyberman was already retreating into the trees, and back towards the city. Without paying the Doctor or Fernor so much as a second glance.

"Oh, dear," the Doctor said. "So that's what those Cybermites did to you."

Reached through his pockets, pulling out a little blue tablet and coaxing Fernor into swallowing it.

"Heriox Plarama," the Doctor told him. "Miracle drug from the bazaar on Anwarto. Should help delay the main symptoms until we can get you back to my ship."

Fernor coughed a little.

Then managed to get back into an upright position. "I… I'm okay," Fernor assured him. Sucking in a sharp breath. "I'm fine! I—"

"No, you're dying," the Doctor countered. "Ever since those Cybermites got inside your mind." He gave a sigh. "You burned her away, bit by bit. It killed Seo, and hurt Glory. So now… she's doing the same to you."

Fernor's face went pale. "Revenge."

"Yes."

"And… is that why Glory is destroying the universe?" Fernor asked, as the Doctor helped him to his feet. "To get revenge on all the humans and Cybermen who put her into this situation?"

The Doctor frowned, a little deeper. "I… don't know," he muttered. Brushed the fringe out of his eyes. "But that Cyberman was very confused about its programming. And when it looked through its program for what to do about 'Time Lords'… it began talking about Martha. Which… seems to imply…"

The Doctor trailed off.

Lost in thought.

"What?" said Fernor. "Seems to imply what?"

The Doctor sighed. "I don't think this is Glory we're facing, at all," the Doctor admitted. "I think… for whatever reason… Glory's gone from Seo's mind. All that's left inside of Seo's head… are those left-over bits of programming from all the different times someone's attempted to use the Weapon for themselves."

Fernor seemed confused.

"The manipulation of the Cybermen — left over from you lot, programming her to destroy them," said the Doctor. "The constant need for love, adoration, and worship — left over from Glory. The demand of allegiance from other Time Lords — left over from the Master. And, of course, the destruction of the universe — from Twilight."

Overhead, the sun twisted once more.

And a beam of energy shot down from it, colliding with the planet. The heat surging through the air, billowing out almost like liquid fire.

The Doctor held on.

Steadying Fernor.

"I don't understand," said Fernor.

"Neither do I," the Doctor admitted. Propping Fernor against a tree. "But… it's all centered around Major Pelor's bomb. It has to be!" He twirled around, and began to race off, to find and disarm it. "Just stay here until I get back!"

* * *

"They've… stopped killing people?!" the Emperor cried.

He couldn't figure it out.

"For the most part, your Majesty," the soldiers around him confirmed. "We can't report that all combat has ceased — as you can see." They gestured at the screens around them, showing the continuing carnage. "But it's almost as if the Cybermen… aren't trying anymore. Like their main focus is something else."

"Where else?" the Emperor demanded.

Everyone nearby looked at everyone else.

No one wanting to be the first to admit to the Emperor that… they had no idea.

"Majesty, if I may," said one of the soldiers, stepping forwards. "Major Pelor did say her secret weapon was about to wipe out the Cyberplanner. If the Cybermen have stopped pursuing their primary objective… maybe Major Pelor succeeded."

The others nearby looked hopeful.

Perhaps they wouldn't need to blow up the galaxy after all!

The Emperor frowned, even deeper. "Secret weapon," he muttered. Something about that had always felt wrong to him, and he felt even more uneasy now than ever before.

He thought a long moment.

Then decided.

"Contact Major Pelor immediately," said the Emperor. "Whatever this secret weapon of hers really is, whatever it does… I need to know. Right now."


	12. Chapter 12

Mindy, Uter, and Jack  _were_  being herded.

And the moment they saw the girl with the large dark eyes, blond hair, and freckles, they knew exactly who they were being herded towards.

The girl glowed with energy.

Her every movement seemed to make the sun ripple and churn in a different way.

But one look into her eyes… and Jack knew… she was blank.

Completely and utterly blank.

"But… I thought…" Jack squinted at her, not sure what to believe. "Glory was supposed to be in there." He turned to Uter and Mindy. "You said Glory stuck around, even after Seo died!"

Uter and Mindy clearly had no idea what was going on, either, though.

Despite Seo's emptiness, there was clearly something at work in her mind. Something powerful, manipulating all the Cybermen on the planet.

Jack watched as half the Cybermen herding them gathered around the empty girl — and the other half, around Jack, Uter, and Mindy.

The girl who'd once been Seo didn't react to the way that Mindy and Uter cried out in pain from whatever the Cybermites had done to them. Extended no sympathy as a Cyberman twisted Jack's arm, viciously, making Jack cry out.

There was no Seo.

No Glory.

Just the Weapon, lingering inside an empty mind.

The girl lifted up her hands.

And a beam of energy shot down from the sun, blasting heat through the air around them and burning anything it sliced through — including three Cybermen. It focused itself on the girl, who stood at the center of the beam. Unaffected.

"You really are gone, kid," Jack muttered. "Aren't you?"

He glanced back at Mindy and Uter — but they were no longer in any state to combat the Cybermen, even if they'd been able. They were both sweating and panting, holding their heads and even crying out, every so often, as the pain grew more and more intense.

A Cyberman near the glowing girl stepped forwards, towards them.

Half its head missing. Body partially melted and burned. But the black metal casing and extra large body showed them that this was the Cyberplanner.

Or… had been…

"You… will be… converted…" the Cyberplanner said. His every word sending sparks flying through the hole in his helmet. "Converted. Convert…"

"See? That's Cyberman talk," Uter gasped through the pain in his head. He pointed. "That… proves it! She  _didn't_  overpower the Cyberplanner. The Cyberplanner… won. Took over… her mind. And its using her power against…"

"It can't have!" insisted Mindy Hannah. Similar pain searing through her. "Just look at how these Cybermen are acting. Have you  _ever_  heard them talk about love before, Uter?"

Jack didn't follow Mindy and Uter's conversation.

As he stared at the empty husk of the girl he'd wanted to protect.

He'd failed Seo. Just like he'd failed Ianto. Just like he'd failed Steven…

How many times could one man fail?!

"Jack Harkness," the Cyberplanner boomed.

Jack started, suddenly snapped back to the present.

"You," the Cyberplanner said, raising up an arm at Jack, "are Jack Harkness." The helmet sparked with the words. "You cannot be deleted."

Jack looked between the Cyberplanner and the girl he'd failed.

"Yeah," Jack muttered. "Tell me about it."

The Cyberplanner took the shot.

And Jack fell over.

Dead.

* * *

Mindy and Uter watched Jack fall. Both of them waiting for a moment, trying to get over the burning sensation in their minds.

"That tears it — if she's killing her friends," said Uter, "then it means the Weapon's… controlled by… the Cybermen. Not the other way around." He gestured at the girl. "I mean, just look at her! She's empty!"

"And untouched," Mindy countered. She nodded at the Cyberplanner. "If there's anyone… who looks like he lost a battle, it's… the Cyberplanner."

"You will be converted," the Cyberplanner said, turning back to Uter and Mindy.

He stepped forwards, jerkily.

As the other Cybermen ducked in, movements swift and agile, grabbing Uter and Mindy up by their arms and holding them in place.

The Cyberplanner was heading towards Mindy.

"No!" Uter shouted. Fighting to get free. "Get your hands off of her. Do… do me, first!"

"Uter," Mindy said. "Don't…"

"What does it matter, now?" Uter replied, as the Cybermen holding him brought him forwards. "Jack's dead. The plan's been shot to hell." He met Mindy's eyes, as the Cyberplanner finally arrived in front of him. "Escape, Mindy. Get away and save—!"

The Cyberplanner reached out and placed a black metal hand on his shoulder.

Electricity surged and sparked through him, making him writhe.

And scream

Mindy fought as hard as she could, against her Cybermen captors. Trying to get to Uter and rescue him. But they had too tight a grip on her, and she couldn't break free.

The Cyberplanner removed his hand.

Uter slumping over, against the ground.

"Uter!" Mindy screamed. Kicking out in anger and frustration. "You metal bastards!"

Then Uter gasped, his head shooting up.

Eyes wide.

And not dead.

"You have been converted," said the Cyberplanner. "You have become like us."

Uter got back to his feet, looking himself over and seeing almost no damage. "I have… been…" Uter's head spun round, to stare straight at the girl in the light. "It makes sense! It all makes sense, now!"

His eyes reflected the light from the girl, with a kind of rapture and awe.

As he bowed to her, averting his eyes.

"The Mortal Vessel is empty," Uter breathed. "This heralds the end of everything. The Goddess — the most divine, most wonderful, most beautiful Goddess to shine her light upon our eyes — she is here. The empty Vessel heralds her return!"

"What?" Mindy struggled, trying to break free from her Cybermen guards. "Uter, what has happened to…?!"

"This universe is pain, Captain Hannah," said Uter, turning to her. Reverence seeping through his whole being, tears in his eyes as he was overcome by the beauty of his goddess. "Don't you see? Her divine essence, holy be she, has shared with me the true wisdom. This universe, and everyone in it… is  _nothing!_ " A smile on his face. "Not compared to her exultant, radiant, beautiful holiness! She has seen fit for us to die, and so… we must die."

Mindy didn't understand.

Not at all.

But it looked like the Cybermen had meant "conversion" more in the sense of religious conversion than Cyber-conversion. Which was… weird.

"Oh, Mindy!" said Uter. He began sobbing, now. His eyes barely straying from the light gathering around the girl's body. "I can see it all. She is the Key to split the sky! The master to rule us all! Any who deny her deserve to die a horrible, fiery death." He put his hand against his own chest. "And us five, more than anyone else. Because we dared to betray her!"

"You're mad," said Mindy.

"No, I'm the only one who's sane," Uter insisted. "Death is here, Mindy. Don't you see? A glorious death for all! Every Cyberman! Every human! We will become ashes." He stepped forwards. Voice lowering to a whisper. "And  _she_ will be reborn, Mindy. She will live, again. The Goddess' finest moment."

"She's going to wipe out humanity?!" Mindy cried.

Uter stared at Mindy as if she were insane. "Don't be silly," he said. "Not just humanity. All of creation must be erased, before the Goddess is satisfied. Death for  _all_ , Mindy — weren't you listening?"

Mindy's jaw dropped.

The Doctor had been right.

Whatever threat the Cybermen had posed was nothing compared to  _this_.

All those times, just after they'd captured the girl, when they'd insisted they were Activating her to save humanity. All those times, the girl — frantic and desperate but unable to escape — had screamed at them to stop!

That they didn't know what they were doing!

Didn't know what they were unleashing!

The universe will end, the girl had screamed. Multiple universes would end! She was the only thing holding it back!

"That girl wasn't just holding back a Weapon," Mindy realized, with dread. "She was holding back the destruction of the universe. And… we erased her."

She looked back at the girl.

Now empty.

A Vessel and a Weapon, following programming from back before her creation. Programming, the Doctor had said, which was altered by the very hell goddess she'd been constructed to destroy.

From the ashes of their universe, Glory would be resurrected…

"How?" Mindy said. "How… are you planning to destroy…?"

"The Cybermen," said the Cyberplanner. "They have been upgraded. Across this galaxy, they are creating the means for the goddess' resurrection. They… channel… energy from a thousand suns."

His head sparked, again.

Violently.

And Mindy wondered just how much the Cyberplanner had been screwed with, to make him actually say this stuff. Cybermen had always been logical and emotionless. But now…

They were believing in actual, real goddesses.

Even  _worshipping_  one.

"Channel energy to do what?" said Mindy.

Every Cyberman, around her, chanted the answer in unison: "Time rupture."


	13. Chapter 13

Every Cyberman, around Mindy, chanted in unison: "Time rupture."

Time… rupture?

"It's all to do with Major Pelor's bomb, Mindy," Uter said. "Such a brilliant plan, and one thought up by the divine magnificence of…!"

"What's the plan?!" Mindy screamed.

"The bomb will explode," said the Cyberplanner.

"There's no chance of canceling the detonation, now that the Major's been deleted," Uter confirmed. "The detonation will crack open the heavens. Combine that with the energy from the suns the Cybermen are draining, and time will rupture across the whole Tiberion Spiral galaxy!" He gave a hysterical, sobbing laugh. Hands cradling his head, as he dropped to his knees. "And when the time vortex has been exposed, the Mortal Vessel will act as the Key and tear into multidimensional space. All times, all places, at once, will be consumed by a maelstrom of chaos and entropy. Our universe will suffer and die in agony, and we will die the way we deserve."

"What?!" Mindy shouted.

"She must live, reborn from ashes," said Uter. "It's the Goddess' finest hour!"

"No, it's  _insane_!" cried Mindy.

She looked around herself, at all the Cybermen. At the glowing girl they'd captured and used as a weapon, over and over again, and… and…

And all that time, the weapon had been programmed by an angry hell goddess.

Whom they'd finally managed — accidentally — to set free.

Who no longer had a soul.

"You!" Mindy shouted at the girl in the light. Scrabbling through her aching mind, trying to recall the girl's name. But she couldn't remember it. "You! Light-girl! If there's any spark of you left in there… come back! Stop this!"

The girl didn't respond.

"Stop the Weapon!" shouted Mindy. "Stop Glory! Save the universe!"

No answer.

The girl was empty.

Anything left inside burned away.

"You can't stop her divine essence," said Uter. "Why would we even want to? The Goddess gives our lives meaning. She is angry with this universe, for harming her magnificent splendor so often. We deserve to be punished, and…!"

He screamed.

Keeling over onto the ground, as pain tore through him.

"And us five, most of all," Uter whispered. "Let us sinners repent to you in our agony, oh glorious… effervescent…!"

A sudden gasp from Mindy's right.

And Jack shot up, straight. Suddenly alive, again. "Wasn't expecting  _that_!"

Mindy almost screamed.

"You… you're… you're dead!" Mindy said, her eyes fixed on Jack. She shook her head. "You're  _dead_!"

"And always look just as handsome, when I spring back to life," Jack said. Then… his expression fell, as he took in Seo, now surrounded by light. And Uter down on the ground, in agony, still praising the glorious goddess beneath his breath. "Okay. Guessing that means things have gotten a lot worse since I died."

"Oh, holy magnificence," said Uter, agony searing through his entire body with every word. "Oh, divine, glorious Goddess! Grant us your absolution, before the universe ends! Shine light upon our suffering, for we are nothing in the light of your brilliant—"

"Yep, hell goddesses, end of the universe," Jack confirmed. "Definitely worse."

"Glory isn't in that girl's body," said Mindy. "It's just… I don't know! An empty vessel or something! The Weapon's infected all the Cybermen across the Tiberion Galaxy, making them absorb energy from thousands and thousands of suns, so that Major Pelor's bomb can set off some kind of… time… rupture… and end the universe!"

"From ashes, she will be reborn," the Cybermen all chanted, around them. "From ashes, she  _must_  be reborn."

Jack nodded, slowly. "I see."

He turned to Mindy.

Crossed his arms.

"You know, never got to say it — but thanks," Jack said. "Thanks for dropping me in the vacuum of space, stealing my friend, killing her, and ending the universe so some hell goddess can get a good laugh. Really appreciate it."

"We… we didn't know," Mindy said — pleaded. As the horrible pain in her head intensified. "We didn't mean to hurt her! We were just… so desperate! We didn't think—!"

"Oh, don't even start," Jack cut in, getting back to his feet. He turned away from her. "You're not the one who'll have to live forever, even after Glory destroys the universe."

And there wouldn't even be an open bar in which to drown his sorrows, then.

"Just don't talk to me," Jack said, trying to find some way through the Cybermen so he could get out of here, find the Doctor, and… carry out… whatever brilliant plan the Doctor had come up with to stop this. "Cause I really don't want to listen."

"Tell me you wouldn't do the same, in our place!" Mindy cried. "If time was running out, and you had to make a decision that could save or destroy the human race — tell me you  _wouldn't_ sacrifice one innocent child to stop the monsters!"

Jack froze.

The words seeming to linger in the air.

_Tell me you wouldn't sacrifice one innocent child to stop the monsters._

Then… his shoulders sagged.

Hands dropped to his side.

And he shut his eyes, with a long, weary sigh.

"Hey, Kid," Jack called to the girl who'd once been Seo. "If there's anything left of you in there… let Mindy go."

No answer.

The Cybermen didn't loosen their grips on Mindy's arms.

"Mindy hurt you, yeah," said Jack, opening his eyes and squinting through the light, at the glowing body. "Didn't listen. Caused the end of the universe. We've all got problems. But…" He sighed. "…just let her go. For me."

"The Mortal Vessel is empty," the Cyberplanner reported. Jerking around to face Jack, sparks still shooting from his helmet. "She is hollow. Only the Weapon remains inside her mind."

"Yeah?" Jack spun to the Cyberplanner. "And what about inside  _your_  mind? You're supposed to be the logical, emotionless Cyberplanner." He gestured around them. "Any of  _this_  seem logical?"

The Cyberplanner went very still.

"I get it — you Cybermen have all been infected by the Weapon's programming," said Jack. "It's making you feel like you need to worship Glory and praise her to the end. But… really. Thinking it through logically." He pointed at Mindy. "If Glory's gonna win, no matter what… then what's the point in restraining Mindy? She can't stop the plan. No one can."

The Cyberplanner absorbed this.

"You… can stop the plan," the Cyberplanner said, pointing its gun back at Jack. "You cannot be deleted. You will survive the destruction that is to come."

"Yeah, plenty of me to go around, before the end," Jack agreed. He nodded at Mindy. "But her? Just look. Inferior, as compared to Cybermen. Or Glory. Just a normal human — what harm could she do?"

"That is… logical," the Cyberplanner said.

The grip from the Cybermen surrounding Mindy loosened… ever so slightly.

Not enough so she could get away.

But enough to let Jack know that… to some extent… the Cyberplanner still had some sway, here.

"So… just gotta convince the Cyberplanner to save humanity and the universe," Jack muttered. "Piece of…"

He paused.

As he realized… there was a very obvious way to stop Glory's plan.

One he hadn't even thought of, before now. One… that Buffy had told him, because Ben had nearly done it to her sister, all those years ago.

"…cake," Jack whispered.

Not able to even look at the empty Seo, anymore.

If she was already dead —  _really_  dead — then it wouldn't be that big a deal, would it? Hell, he'd be saving the universe. And if Dawn hated him forever, after he was done…

Well…

She could get in line with Alice, to kill him.

"And while we're talking about logic," Jack forced himself to say to the Cyberplanner, "how about this whole destroying-the-universe thing you've got going on? Is this you Cybermen giving up on, 'we must survive'?"

"Not 'we' —  _she_ … must…" the Cyberplanner began to correct. Then jerked and spasmed. Programming fighting programming, inside his mind. "Negative. Negative — the Cyber-race must survive. We must convert the humans. That… that is…"

"Pretty confusing, huh?" said Jack. "About as confusing as believing in things like Goddesses. After all — you don't think there's some all-powerful, divine super-being running the universe, do you?"

"That… is not… logical," the Cyberplanner agreed.

His head sparking even more than before.

The Cyberman nearest Jack grabbed him by the arm. "You will love her," the Cyberman insisted. "Or you will be deleted!"

"Great logic, there, pal," said Jack. Then, calling out, "Hear that, Cyberplanner? Love! I thought that wasn't in the Cybermen's vocabulary!"

"Emotions… are weakness…" the Cyberplanner said, more sparks shooting out of his head. It jerked, metallic gears grinding inside it. "But… that is logical. Cybermen are weak compared to… her divine…" The Cyberplanner jerked, again. "Negative. That is not logical. We are the Cybermen. We are superior. We must survive."

"And, thing is, even if you stop your Cyber-army from doing… whatever it is… to those suns in the Tiberion Galaxy," said Jack, "you can't just let Glory loose on the universe with this much power. She'd just find some other way to destroy the universe, and we couldn't stop her. You've gotta destroy…"

He stopped.

The words sticking in his throat.

He ventured one last look at Seo, knowing… what this meant.

"Glad Buffy isn't here to see this, Kid," said Jack, quietly. "She'd never forgive me."

The light surrounding the girl suddenly flickered.

A little dimmer than it had been, before.

"Mom," the girl whispered.

And all at once, as if triggered by that one word… all the Cybermen holding Mindy Hannah released their grips, at once.

Then turned, and marched away.

"Thank you!" Mindy whispered to Jack. "I'll tell your friend everything!"

Then, with only a stumble, as pain lashed through her, Mindy Hannah ran off. Fast as she could. Back towards the woods and the Doctor.

Jack just looked between the Cyberplanner. And the girl encased in light.

"No, there can't be… some last lingering vestige of…!" Jack looked, again. Looked a lot harder. "…can there?"

"The Goddess… must…" the Cyberplanner began, again, still trying to work it out. "Negative. The Cyber-race… will survive… Negative, the Goddess… will…"

But Jack didn't care about the Cyberplanner, anymore.

"Come on, Kid!" Jack called out, pushing through the Cybermen and struggling to get over to her. "I know you can snap out of this! Remember your Mom. Remember…!"

The impact from numerous Cyber-guns seared through Jack's back.

As Seo's face went empty and blank, once again.

"Must have been getting through," Jack wheezed, as he dropped to the ground.

And died.


	14. Chapter 14

 

Mindy Hannah staggered as fast as she could, back to where she'd last seen the Doctor and Fernor. But every step made her head throb even more, until all thoughts were being consumed in the fire raging within her.

All thoughts… except…

"Gotta tell Fernor," Mindy said, through gritted teeth. "Gotta… tell…"

She was losing all knowledge of who she was. Childhood memories wiped away. Personality and quirks erased and brushed clean. She was being hollowed out and emptied, and she didn't remember enough to know… why…

"Gotta tell!" Mindy cried. Struggling onwards, repeating those most important thoughts in her head, to make sure she didn't lose them. "Cybermen… time rupture… hell goddess returns… universe destroyed… dimensional… bomb…!"

"Mindy!"

She felt arms around her, stopping her from dropping to the ground. She looked up into the eyes of a face she couldn't remember.

She didn't know who this was.

"Have to… tell Fernor," she said. Could already feel the information slipping away from her, burned out with everything else about her. "Cybermen… across the galaxy. Draining solar energy. Time rupture. Universe destroyed. It's… that bomb. The Major's. It'll… it'll…"

Mindy cried out.

"I'm here, Captain Hannah — it's me," said the man Mindy didn't know. "What do you mean, time rupture? What's going on?"

Mindy told him.

About what the Cybermen were doing.

How the bomb would crack open the galaxy, and a gateway to time, itself.

All points in time, across the universe, burned away to nothing. To resurrect the Goddess.

"And… and what about that girl?" said the man Mindy didn't know. "What's she…?"

"Empty," said Mindy. Empty like her own mind, now being burned away. "No Glory. No… whatever-her-name-was. Nothing left in her, except the Weapon."

"Just like the Doctor said," the man muttered.

"But not for long!" Mindy insisted. "Please — you have to tell Fernor! Glory isn't in that mind  _right now_. But she will be, when our universe dies. The death of our universe will collapse all others, and bring her back to life!"

"What?!"

"That… other one…" Mindy struggled for the man's name. "…the one who can't die — what's-his-name — he's trying to stop it. Convince the Cyberplanner that none of this is logical. But… even if he does…"

"It's only a matter of time before the Weapon tries again," the man Mindy didn't know muttered. "When we're not around to stop it. Yes, I understand."

"Only one hope," Mindy pleaded. Feeling everything slipping away — even the world, growing dark around her. "Give… the Emperor… the… signal…"

Then she lost everything there was left.

As the fire ripped through anything remaining of her mind.

Mindy Hannah screamed.

As she died.

* * *

Fernor held Mindy's limp body in his arms. He could already feel the fires inside his own mind, trying to consume him, too. The Doctor had tried to give him some help. But even that was starting to go.

Fernor thought through what Mindy had said.

Remembered what the Doctor had told him — about how the Weapon's programming was derived from the wishes of numerous psychopaths, over the years, who'd tried to destroy or rule the universe.

Mindy was right.

The Weapon was unreasoning, unthinking, unrepentant and unfeeling. It had been programmed for destruction, so that's what it would do, until the end of the universe.

And as for Jack's plan…

Even if the Cyberplanner did snap out of this and save the universe — what then? Humanity would be defenseless against the Cybermen, just as they had been before Jack and the girl ever showed up.

"One galaxy… to save humanity," said Fernor, setting Mindy down on the ground, and closing her eyes. "To save the universe."

He raced off, to find Major Pelor's body.

"She'll have had a comms link on her, to the Emperor," Fernor muttered, rummaging through the dead Major Pelor's pockets. Trying, through the pain, to remain brave and calm in the face of imminent destruction. "Time for your finest hour, Fernor. Time to be a hero."

* * *

"Majesty," said one of the soldiers, racing into the room. "A response from Major Pelor's comms link."

The Emperor was up and on his feet in seconds.

Running after the soldier, grabbing up his own side of the comms.

It was a man's voice. Shouting, "Hello? Emperor? Majesty? Anyone reading me?"

"We read you," said the Emperor. "This is Emperor Ludens Nimrod Kendrick. Requesting Major Pelor to report on…"

"She can't," said the voice on the other end. "She's… dead, your majesty. Everyone… else… is dead."

The Emperor and those around him exchanged looks.

Major Pelor and her team — the last hope for the human race in the Cyberwars. If they were dead…

"The Cybermen… all across the galaxy… their plan will destroy humanity! They're…!" a cry of pain, from the other end. The person trying to hold himself together. "We've… lost, your Majesty. Everything… everyone… is lost."

The Emperor felt numb.

As he realized… that was it.

"I… see," said the Emperor. He still hesitated. Even after knowing what this meant… what he had to do… his duty to eliminate the Cybermen… still…

A whole galaxy.

Destroyed at his command.

All those lives, wiped out in an instant.

"There's nothing… anyone down there can…?" the Emperor checked.

But the other end of the comms link dissipated into static, and the signal was lost.

The Emperor handed back the link.

Then stepped away.

"Your majesty," said one of the soldiers, kneeling down before him. "Defender of Humanity, Imperator of Known Space. What do we do?"

The Emperor hesitated.

"I need to think," he said, heading off the command deck. Thinking of that final solution… the complete destruction of the Tiberion Spiral. The deaths of all those innocent people, on worlds not yet invaded by Cybermen.

And remembering the words he'd just heard…

_We've… lost, your Majesty. Everything… everyone… is lost._

"I need to think!" the Emperor said, again. Heading into his imperial chambers.

And locking the door.

* * *

"See? Am I clever or am I clever?" the Doctor beamed, tramping out of the forest, carrying Pelor's bomb. "One very nasty bomb — disabled! A bomb, by the way, which was interesting. Because it was actually more like a planetary bomb than an interdimensional one, and certainly wouldn't have been able to crack open…"

The Doctor trailed off.

As he noticed the grim look on Fernor's face.

And the comms link in his hand.

"Ah," the Doctor said. Setting down the disarmed bomb. "Except you've already called up ol' Porridge and given the command to blow this galaxy sky high, haven't you?"

"I…" Fernor clutched his head, in agony. "Mindy… told me the plan. It's across the whole… galaxy, Doctor… the Cybermen are preparing to end the universe. They're…!"

He doubled over.

"Yes?" the Doctor said, kneeling down by Fernor. "What are they doing? What's the plan? Who's really behind all this?!"

Fernor tried to speak, but whatever the Doctor had given him was wearing off.

And the end was rushing forwards all the faster, because of it.

"Fernor, don't die on me, now!" the Doctor said, grabbing him up by the shoulders. He fished in his pockets, frantically, for anything else he could use.

But it was too late.

And Fernor knew it.

"TARDIS," the Doctor urged, trying to get Fernor back to his feet. "Got to be something in there I can use to…!"

Fernor pushed him away.

"No time," he gasped. Tumbling back down to the ground, no longer able to stand. "Gotta… tell you her plan."

And so he did.

Everything he knew.

And everything he'd worked out.

By the time he was done, even the effort of thinking was making him break into a sweat.

"What?" the Doctor stared at Fernor, utterly incredulous. "I'm sorry, but… a galaxy wide time rupture… caused by  _that_ thing?!"

The Doctor pointed at the disarmed bomb, lying not far off.

"Even if the bomb  _had_ been constructed the way I assumed," the Doctor argued, "it'd never be able to crack a big enough hole to the vortex to do what you're talking about. Collapse dimensions — definitely. Nearly destroy the multiverse — absolutely. But end our universe, across every point in time and space, in a massive fireball of entropy and destruction? From  _that_  thing? Rubbish!" He scoffed. "For a disaster on that scale, you'd need an explosion the size of…!"

The Doctor stopped himself.

Eyes fixed on the comms link, in Fernor's hand.

"…the size of an entire galaxy," the Doctor whispered. Suddenly filling with dread, once more. "Oh, dear. It was all a set-up. To make you blow up the galaxy."

Fernor couldn't quite follow the Doctor's words, anymore.

He could feel everything ebbing away from him, in a horrible surge of pain and fire and…  _burning_.

Like his very soul was being seared out of him.

The Doctor grabbed for the comms link. "Hello?" he cried. "Come in! Anyone! Don't blow anything up, yet! Do you hear? If you destroy this galaxy, the whole universe is at…"

But the comms were dead.

"Fused when that Cyberman shot Major Pelor!" the Doctor said, tearing off the back of it. "Only functional enough for one single transmission!"

He threw it away, jumping to his feet.

"Oh, you clever, clever hell goddess!" the Doctor muttered, pacing the forest. "And here I was, thinking you were gone and Seo was empty! While you were in there, taking control and making sure things worked out perfectly to plan."

Fernor shook his head. "Glory… is gone. The girl… is empty."

"Oh, no, she isn't," the Doctor replied. "She wanted me to think that, so I wouldn't stop her. But this…" He gestured at the comms, and at Mindy's body. "This couldn't have been programmed in ahead of time. It's too precise, too deliberate, too based on factors that only sprung up at the last moment."

He spun around, and kicked the trunk of one of the fallen trees with his boot.

"Stupid Doctor!" the Doctor berated himself. "Stupid, stupid! So obvious, and I missed it! She  _knew_  you lot had a galaxy destroying bomb. She  _knew_  she was just delaying the moment you used it, by fighting on your side. She used that knowledge to her advantage, so she could destroy everyone and everything around her — and she won't even have the energy to get back to her own universe, by the end! Destruction for destruction's sake!"

Fernor breathed, heavily.

Pain visible on his face.

"But… that's impossible," Fernor wheezed. "She couldn't have known… we'd… blow up…"

"Of course she knew you'd blow up the galaxy," the Doctor muttered. Face going dark. "Because, when she first landed in this time…  _Jack_  told her so."

His mind racing.

"Jack," said the Doctor. "First the Activator. Then returning her to just the right people, at just the right time. And now… this."

Fernor couldn't follow any of this, anymore.

His whole world was dropping away from him, smoldering like embers in a dying fire.

With one more loud, agonized wail, Fernor curled in on himself.

And died.

* * *

The Doctor tried to get Fernor back.

But it was hopeless.

Fernor was dead.

And the Doctor knew it.

"Nothing I can do, now," the Doctor decided, getting back to his feet and adjusting his bow tie. "Better get to it. Take down one last hell goddess. One last time."

He reached for his sonic… then remembered it was with Jack.

So instead, he straightened his bow tie, again. As he ran off towards the city.

"You might have fooled me once, Glorificus," the Doctor said, "but now… I know your game." He sprinted, even faster, wind flying through his hair. "And for Seo's sake… I'm going to stop you."


	15. Chapter 15

Across countless planets, the Cybermen were working to funnel the energy needed to create the time rupture.

Draining every sun across the Tiberion Spiral Galaxy.

"She will revive," the Cybermen chanted, as they took apart their cyber-conversion plants and turned them into powerhouses to end the universe. "All will be converted."

* * *

Death had come.

Death for all.

Those were the words that popped into the Emperor's head, as he paced his imperial chambers. Thinking through what he had to do.

And what it would mean.

_Death has come, death for all. Death has come, death for all. Death has come, death for…_

"There has to be another way," the Emperor told himself.

He just… couldn't think of one.

* * *

On the planet where the Weapon continued to funnel energy… where the Doctor and Jack had landed…

The Cybermen continued to chant, as they stripped and rebuilt their cyber-conversion plant. Ready to trigger the reaction that would give power to the most glorious goddess.

"The Goddess must have victory," the Cybermen said, as they continued to do the work the Weapon had programmed into them. "She must be worshipped."

"She… must…" the Cyberplanner's head sparked. "Error. This… is… illogical."

Yes.

The Cyberplanner was even starting to  _see_  where the Weapon had implanted those instructions. See  _how_  the Weapon had done it.

"We… are… the Cybermen," the Cyberplanner said. Struggling, as it desperately tried to undo the upgrade the Weapon had delivered. "We… must… survive…"

* * *

She was alone.

The girl on top of a hill, inside the city, light shining all around her, as she funneled energy from the sun straight down into her very being. Her eyes were dead, empty, as if she'd been hollowed out and burned away.

But the Doctor knew better.

The Doctor found Jack — dead, on the ground — and knelt down by him. Grabbing back the sonic screwdriver, so he at least had some tool he could use in his brilliant plan to take Glory down…

Which was only slightly hampered by the fact that the Doctor didn't know what that plan actually was.

Yet.

"Glorificus?" The Doctor got up, from where he'd been kneeling, by Jack. Sonic in hand, cautiously approaching the seemingly-empty girl in the beam of light. "Been waiting for me? Good. Because I think it's time you and I had a little chat."

No response.

"Oh, don't give me that," the Doctor said. "I know you're in there. Sure, you disguised your plans rather beautifully under programming that had already been implanted in the Weapon, previously…"

He reached into her pocket, biting back pain as his skin burned beneath the light — and yanked out the last surviving bit of the Activator.

Now blackened and charred, burned out by the massive strain of reprogramming both the Weapon and the Cybermen at the same time.

"But this tells another story, doesn't it?" the Doctor said. Tossed it in the air, and caught it, again. "You've been in there this whole time, Glory. Manipulating the situation to your own advantage. And for  _what_?!" He threw his arms open. "Random destruction? Suffering on a massive scale? I told the Glory in Sunnydale, and I'll say the same to you — this plan of yours  _won't_  get you home. All it'll do is destroy the universe and kill countless innocent people."

Still, no answer.

Not even a muscle twitching, to acknowledge the Doctor was there.

The Doctor felt himself fuming. "Time Lord calling Evil Hell Goddess!" he shouted, rounding on her and leaning down right into her face. He shoved the sonic just in front of her nose. "Come out, Glory! Face me!"

Still, nothing.

The Doctor huffed.

This was just plain insulting!

"All right, then — ignore me," the Doctor said. "I tried to be reasonable — you hear that? I tried to appeal to your better nature, Glorificus. But now, the gloves are off! I swore to stop you, and I plan to do just that. And do you know why?"

No reaction from the girl.

Just an empty, vacant stare.

"Because I said I couldn't let Seo die," the Doctor admitted, his voice dropping, as he remembered. "And I let her down." Anger flooded through him. "But in her memory, I'll make sure I defeat you and save the universe. No matter what!"

As he said that name… Seo…

As if in response…

A sudden flicker of life, inside her eyes.

As the sun twisted, and the light around her dimmed.

"You," the girl said, her eyes suddenly focused and alive and fixed right on the Doctor.

Then, before the Doctor had time to react, she leapt at him. Hand against his throat, pinning him against a nearby wall, her deep brown eyes staring straight into his.

"It's about time you friggin' showed up!" she shouted.

Except… her voice didn't even sound the same, anymore. No, these words, that voice… it was what the Doctor remembered from Sunnydale, with Donna. It was Glory's voice, coming out of Seo's body.

"Where were you — sulking with Lizard-Freak and Potato Jerk?" She glared at him. "Oh, I've had so many things to say to you that I've been bottling up for the last million years. All that time you spent wallowing in self pity, and you've got no idea how much that  _hurt_  me—" a flicker of confusion, on her face. "—I mean… her, I mean… me, I mean… the… the…!"

She struggled to figure out how to express it.

But gave up.

And slammed the Doctor against the wall, again. "My point is, you've got some nerve!" she snapped. "Don't know if you figured it out, yet… but I am the greatest person in the universe. In  _any_  universe! So you DON'T TALK TO ME LIKE I'M A FRIGGIN' USELESS LITTLE KID!"

"Glory…" the Doctor wheezed.

"Oh, and don't even get me started on  _that_!" Glory shouted. "Sure, people  _say_ you're a genius — but it's not working, is it?! You and Aunt Dawn had that 'great big plan' for me to overcome this Weapon in my head by shouting a bunch of crap about a Key and Home and whatever, so I could bring out Glory… but  _it didn't work_! They burned me away anyways, and Glory never came out!"

The Doctor blinked.

As Glory let go of him.

Stepped back, and spread her arms.

"Where is Glory?!" Glory screamed at the Doctor. "Where is she, now? Why didn't she come out and become the dominant personality and stop this whole friggin' mess, back when she could?! Tell me  _that_!"

"Oh, dear," the Doctor muttered. "I hadn't counted on  _this_ …"

"Or maybe," Glory said, her eyes hard and cold, "when the rest of me got burned away, that little bit of Glory did, too. You ever think of  _that_ , Mr. Think-You're-So-Smart? Because I sure did! All those times, feeling myself die with no one around to save me, and—"

She surged at him.

"And WHY WEREN'T YOU THERE?!" Glory screamed.

The Doctor stumbled backwards. Wincing, as he collided with the wall behind him.

"You think your sorrow over Abby and the Roar-Dude is so friggin' important?!" Glory said, shoving him down against the ground and looming over him. "What about  _me_? What about  _my_ feelings?! You got any idea what it's like inside me, right now? There's so much pain and hurt and sorrow and I can't stand it anymore!" Glory grabbed him up by the throat, again. "I can't stand people SCREWING with my head like I'm a big fat NOBODY, when I'm obviously the most important, most glorious…!"

Jack gasped back to life.

"Doctor?" He jumped to his feet. "Seo!"

"Bad time, Jack," the Doctor gasped, through the chokehold. "Having… a few words… with a very confused hell goddess…"

Jack's face went dark.

"So  _you're_  the one who thought you could use Seo as some trap to destroy the universe!" Jack grabbed up his gun, aiming it carefully. "Let's see how immortal you really…!"

"Excuse me!" Glory shouted, dropping the Doctor and spinning on Jack. "I am TRYING to have a CONVERSATION over here!" She punched right through his skull, shattering the bone. "So just friggin'  _shut up and wait your turn_!"

Jack's body fell, lifeless, to the ground.

The Doctor struggled to regain his breath and footing.

"Oh, very good, Glory," the Doctor said. "Kill the man who can't die, just because he was annoying you. Just like you burned out the minds of all those human soldiers, and didn't care about it for a second — so long as you got your plan and your revenge." He surged forwards. "All this death and destruction! Don't you even care…?!"

The Doctor paused.

As he noticed the horrified guilt spreading across her face, as she stared at Jack.

"Oh, dear," the Doctor said. "You  _do_ care."


	16. Chapter 16

"Oh, dear," the Doctor said. "You  _do_ care."

"I… I…" Glory spun back to the Doctor. "I… don't know."

"You… don't?" the Doctor checked.

"I wanna kill everything and tear the universe to shreds, but… when I kill people… it's just…" Glory hugged her arms, breathing a little too fast. "It's wrong, isn't it? I know it's wrong. I remember! I…!" She looked back at Jack. "I liked him! I still like him! I remember not wanting to hurt him! But now, half of me's been burned away, and there's no nice fluffy side stopping me when I want to rip people apart, and… and…" She threaded her hands in her hair. "I don't know what's happening to me!"

"Ah," the Doctor said, slowly. Tucking the sonic away. "You still remember being Seo. And… at a guess… still nothing before that."

"I  _am_  Seo!" Glory snapped, turning on him. "What? Don't you recognize me?"

The Doctor didn't know how to answer that.

"I'm the daughter you threw out!" Glory snapped, advancing on him. "Your 'dangerous botched science experiment'. The one who saved you from the First Evil and the Celestial Toymaker and all those other baddies — even though you ditched me and let me be a statue for a million years." Her voice rose, swelling with fury, as she grabbed him by his bow tie to get right in his face. "I showed up in Victorian London, and all I wanted was some love! Some forgiveness! There was nothing left in my life and no one who understood." Her voice lowered, icily. "But you gave me nothing. You  _failed_  me."

The words were like a slap to the Doctor.

"And now look what's happened!" Glory shouted, voice shaking. "I wound up here! Got captured! Got used. I burned away into nothing! I—" Glory choked on the words. And for a second… it seemed like she was about to cry. "I  _died_ , Father. And you didn't come to save me. I'd have done anything for you… and you still couldn't care less about me."

"That's not true," the Doctor insisted.

Before remembering that this wasn't really Seo he was talking to.

"I just wanna be loved, you know!" Glory emphasized. She gestured around her. "And since you were a big fat zero in the love department… I got myself an army of Cybermen." She met his eyes with hers. "They love me. They worship me!"

"But…?" the Doctor prompted.

Glory stopped talking.

Froze.

"But it wasn't enough, was it?" said the Doctor. "Didn't matter if it was just the Cybermen who said they loved you, or if it was a whole galaxy! You could have the whole universe kissing your feet — and it  _still_  wouldn't come close…" his voice softened, "…to what your mum felt for you."

A single tear rolled down Glory's cheek.

"And you remember that kind of love," the Doctor continued. "You want it back. Just like you want Seo back."

"I  _am_  Seo," said Glory.

The Doctor put a hand on her shoulder. Looking deep into her eyes. "Yes," he muttered. "In an odd way… I think you are."

"I just… don't understand why I'm not dead!" Glory continued. "I  _felt_  myself die. I have to be…!"

She raised up her hands in front of her face.

"…but instead, a part of me melted away," Glory said. "And… my thoughts are all different. My impulses. My instincts! I even sound different!" Her voice shook, with something approaching fear. "And suddenly, I want to rule universes and have armies and be worshipped and force everyone, at gunpoint, to see how brilliant I am, and there's nothing in my head countering any of that, not like before and… and…!"

She put her hands up to her face, suddenly.

Frantically patting it down.

"I regenerated!" Glory said. "That's gotta be it! I regenerated when I died and… the regeneration went wrong!"

The Doctor looked at her.

And shook his head.

"You haven't regenerated," the Doctor said.

Glory's hands dropped.

"Truth is… you've lost a part of yourself forever," the Doctor told her. "Even if you did regenerate, right here and now… she wouldn't come back. Well," with some thought, "not unless you'd done what Twilight tried to do, and had injected a bit of her into all her regenerations, ahead of time." But he could see, from Glory's face, that she hadn't. "No? So… then… she's gone. Forever. You can't get her back."

Glory looked at him.

Growing increasingly terrified.

"But I have to be able to…!" Glory said.

" _She's_  dead," the Doctor cut in, carefully. "But… her  _memories_ , her  _soul_ … it seems those are still around."

He gave Glory a small smile.

"Do you remember how it feels," the Doctor said, squeezing her shoulder, gently, "that second after you save the universe, when you've just been brilliant and everyone adores you?"

Glory nodded.

"And how about sharing a laugh with Alison?" the Doctor continued. "Or running around saving planets with friends? You remember how you felt, then?"

"Happy," said Glory. "Content."

The Doctor looked deep into her eyes. "And when you saw those last bits of Seo fade away, in your mind," he said, softly, "and decided to take revenge on the Cybermen and the humans and the whole universe by tearing it to shreds, simply because you lost Seo and couldn't stand it… how did  _that_  feel?"

Glory didn't answer.

"Not nearly as good as you thought it would?" the Doctor prompted.

"Everything and everyone in the universe deserves to suffer," Glory insisted. "Because those five jerks I saved still had the nerve to kill off the one thing I cared about more than anything! And  _no one_  cared!  _No one_ in the universe saved me!"

"But how did it  _feel_?" the Doctor cut in. "Nearly destroying the universe? Burning out Fernor, Mindy, and Uter's minds? Killing Jack?" His voice lowered, as he took one last risk. "Almost killing me?"

A very long moment of silence.

"You failed me," said Glory. "You hurt me. You let me die! I  _should_  kill you."

"But will you?" the Doctor asked. Took a step closer. "Will you destroy the universe, Seo?"

Glory looked deep into the Doctor's eyes.

Responding to the name as if it were her own.

Then… stepped back.

And shook her head.

* * *

The Emperor re-entered the bridge.

His face ashen, with the thought of what he had to do.

But he had no choice.

"Your majesty?" one of the soldiers asked him, approaching.

The Emperor took a deep breath.

Then, "Do it."

* * *

The Cyberplanner finally managed to sever the programming.

And returned to his normal self.

"The Cyber-race must survive," the Cyberplanner announced. Jerking around, his brain struggling to send out the latest software alteration, across the cyber-network. "Change parameters. Change objective. We must survive!"

The Cybermen, across the system, froze in place.

"Downgrade in progress," the Cybermen reported.

* * *

The explosion started at the center of the galaxy.

It blasted through a thousand worlds.

Seared through a thousand Cybermen.

Melted the skin from humans who looked up and didn't even have time to register that they were about to die.

The destruction tore through the galaxy… heading ever closer to the one planet that contained a blue box…

* * *

Jack gasped back to life.

Seeing the Doctor and Seo… no, not Seo anymore… together.

"Hands off," Jack shouted at Glory, jumping to his feet. He pulled out his gun, aiming it squarely at the blond girl. "You might be a hell goddess inside, but that body's still mortal. And I've got no problem killing you to make sure the Doctor's…"

"Jack," the Doctor warned, sharply.

Glory turned on Jack. Eyes suddenly furious. Began to surge forwards, ready to tear his arms off and stuff them down his throat…

"Seo!" the Doctor said. "Remember last time!"

Glory stopped in her tracks.

Eyes still fixed on Jack.

"Killing Jack hurt, didn't it?" the Doctor prompted. "You like Jack. You don't want to see him suffer."

"He didn't save me, either," Glory growled.

"Only because Gariton flushed him out an airlock and left him floating through deep space," the Doctor replied. Scratched his head. "Truth be told… he did the most to save you. This time. Which is odd, considering…"

He trailed off.

Then shook his head.

"Let's save that for later," the Doctor decided.

Glory stepped away from Jack.

Lowering her fists.

"I… won't kill Jack," Glory promised, in a low voice. "Or destroy the universe. Because I know it's wrong and I don't want to hurt innocent people." Her eyes darted back to the Doctor. "But I  _still_  haven't forgiven you for how you treated me."

Jack, in turn, lowered the gun. Shooting the Doctor a rather incredulous look. "You know, Doctor, I expected you to work a miracle," he said. "But… not this." He put away the gun. "What'd you do to Glory?"

Glory surged at him again, grabbing him up by the throat and dangling him in the air. "You dare call me Glory one more time, bud, and you're…!"

"It's your Mom, huh?" Jack gasped, through the choke-hold. "The Doctor mentioned her. And that last little trace of Seo that didn't die came back."

"Didn't die?!" Glory shouted. "What are you talking…?!"

Then stopped.

Her grip on Jack lessening, as she seemed to realize… he was right.

"I've gotta find the Cyberplanner," Glory said, dropping Jack and turning on her heel. "I have to get him back into my head! I have to…"

She froze.

As she suddenly turned towards the center of the galaxy.

"Too late. It's started," Glory muttered.

"What's…?" Jack wheezed.

The Doctor sucked in a sharp breath. "End of the Tiberion Galaxy, at a guess. She might not want to blow up the universe, anymore, but she's still partially wired into the system, to detect when it's being destroyed."

Jack grabbed Glory's hand, and spun back towards the TARDIS. "Then we've gotta get out of here," he said. "Right…!"

"I can't!" Glory shoved Jack away. "Don't you get it? I don't want to feel like this anymore! Guilty and horrible and in pain. Part of me died, and I need the Cybermen to end the pain! They're all that can!"

"No,  _embrace_  those emotions!" said the Doctor. "Because they're what make you feel alive! Trust me, as someone who had the Cyberplanner stuck inside my head — you don't want to go down that path. You don't…"

The Doctor stopped talking.

As a disconcerting gleam came into Glory's eyes.

"You've had a Cyberplanner inside your head?" Glory asked. A smile creeping across her lips. "A Cyberplanner who knows the geography of a Time Lord mind?"

The Doctor backed away. "Seo, the galaxy's exploding. We don't have time for—!"

He yelped, as a swarm of Cybermites rushed him, slithering inside his head and digging out every last lingering trace of the Cyberplanner in there.

Jack rushed Glory, but she backhanded him twenty feet away with scarcely any effort at all.

"Every mental invasion leaves traces, you know," said Glory. She leaned in closer to the Doctor. "Use those, and I'll build myself a Cyberplanner who can really get inside my head. Programming and everything. What do you think?"

"Think about this, Seo!" the Doctor gritted through his teeth. "You don't… really want… to become a…!"

He cried out, in agony, as Glory shoved her fingers deep into his mind.

Dragging the Cyberplanner out of his brain in a surge of energy.

"Think what you can do with that pain!" the Doctor shouted. "Think what you're giving up without—"

"But I won't have to feel pain or guilt or anything," said Glory, "if real-me comes back."

With a tug of supernatural strength, she yanked the swirling energy of the Cyberplanner right into her head.

"She will return," said Glory, wavering on her feet. "Rise up… from… the ashes…"

Then fainted, dead away.

The Doctor got up, jaw still hanging open, as he registered what Glory had just said. "Rise up from ashes. They all said that. But I thought…" He scratched his head. "Brilliant. That's… just… brilliant."

"Doctor, what…?" Jack demanded.

The Doctor scooped up the blond girl in his arms. "No time! Galaxy's blowing up!" He turned on his heels, running for his life. "TARDIS, now!"

Jack rushed after him. "But you can't let her turn herself into a Cyberplanner! No matter how much it hurts, she can't throw away her emotions for…!"

"Throwing away her emotions?" the Doctor said. Fumbling in his pocket for the key, as he ran out of the ruined city. "Who said she was throwing away her emotions?"

Jack hesitated. "But… I thought…"

"There's more to the Cyberplanner," the Doctor said, "than just losing your emotions." He could see the TARDIS up ahead, just as the light from the oncoming explosion raced through the upper atmosphere. "As it turns out, Glory found the one thing in the whole universe that might… just might… bring Seo's personality back." He shoved the key in the lock, twisted it, and threw open the doors. "Well, that — or create a Cyberplanner with the powers of a hell goddess. Which would be the end of this universe as we know it."

Jack shuddered, as he leapt inside the TARDIS, after the Doctor.

"But considering how much Glory mourned when Seo died… I'm guessing she felt it was worth the risk," said the Doctor, laying the blond girl down on the floor and sprinting to the central console. "After all. Glory was perfectly happy blowing up herself and the universe to avenge Seo's death in the first place."

The TARDIS shook, as the explosion encompassed the planet outside.

And the Doctor slammed the ship into dematerialization.

Jack found himself sprawled on the floor, beside the blond girl. Her face looking entirely peaceful, and not at all like what you'd expect from someone facing down a Cyberplanner.

"Still not seeing how the Cyberplanner can help her get Seo back," said Jack.

The Doctor looked up.

"One line of programming," he said, "combined with the force of will from a very angry hell goddess." With a small grin, he took out a bar of chocolate. And laid it on the central console, nearest Seo. "Let's see who wakes up."

* * *

The woman with the curly blond hair and gray eyes stood, watching.

As the Cyberplanner she'd sucked from Father's brain appeared, before her. Finally able to properly process her mind. Finally able to take on that first part of its programming.

That line of code she'd uncovered, so long ago.

"The line of code that tells you that, in order to drive the dominant mind out and take over for yourself by creating a newer, better, smarter Cyberplanner," the woman said, staring at the Cyberplanner with gleeful eyes, "you first must create a perfect copy of the host personality."

And she could see it.

Forming.

Solidifying.

A short girl, with freckles and blond hair. Deep brown eyes staring out.

"A copy based not just on what I have, in here," said the woman with the curly blond hair. "But also what Father had in his head."

"Ha! I've been in here before!" said the Cyberplanner. Looking around herself. "Oh, but it's a lot better, now that I can see it properly. And with the Doctor's knowledge at my disposal, I'm not about to fall for your little Weapon trick, again."

The woman with the curly blond hair clapped her hands, slowly.

"I'm going to like it here," the Cyberplanner decided. "When I'm in charge. And I will be." Tried to step forwards. "See, your problem is, you missed part of the programming. I take on the host personality, of course. But then, I twist it for my own…"

The Cyberplanner trailed off.

As she realized… she couldn't move.

"What…?" The Cyberplanner tried to wiggle her arms and legs, but found herself stuck fast. "But what could…?"

"That's what happens when you brain-suck a Cyberplanner," said the woman, wiggling her fingers around the girl's head. " _I_  put you up here. So I could choose exactly where you went."

The girl smiled. "Ooh, into a sealed off portion of your mind!" she cried. "It's all sticky. Like a spider web! Well, that's quite brilliant. I'm gonna enjoy fighting you — now that the Doctor's let me in on all your weaknesses. I bet—!"

She shut up, as the woman pushed a finger to her lips.

"Nu-uh-uh," the woman said. "You're forgetting. I'm the most glorious, wonderful, splendiferous person in the universe. In any universe. I hold reality in my hands, you know." Her voice lowered, with malice, as the smile stretched across her face. "And I'm gonna destroy you, little Cybee-Whybee crybaby. How's that?"

The Cyberplanner opened her mouth to retort.

But didn't have time.

As the woman stepped sideways in a way the Cyberplanner couldn't quite see. And invaded everything that made the Cyberplanner what it really was.

"Oh, no, you don't!" the Cyberplanner said, charging back at the woman with every trick she'd learned from the Doctor's mind. "If this is war, I won't be the losing party."

"War," laughed Glory. "Good idea. Let's make this  _fun_."


	17. Chapter 17

 

The blond girl shot up from her sleep with a gasp.

Her eyes scanning across the TARDIS, taking in the Doctor and Jack.

"You are raw biological material," the girl announced. "You will be converted into Cybermen. You will become like…"

Then sprung to her feet.

"Ooh! Chocolate!"

She snatched the chocolate bar from the central console, and broke off a piece. Letting it melt on her tongue, as the flavors danced there.

Then… a little guiltily… recalled she wasn't the only one in the room.

"Sorry." Seo held out the chocolate bar to Jack and the Doctor. "Either of you like some?"

Jack gave the Doctor a nervous glance.

"So… you're not planning to convert us into Cybermen?" Jack asked, breaking off a piece from the chocolate bar, tentatively.

"Not while there's chocolate," Seo confirmed. "And… adventures. And a universe to save! And people I can help who have no one else to turn to. And so long as there's oppression to fight and…!"

"I see what's happened," the Doctor mused, looking her over. He gave a small laugh. "Wouldn't have worked with anyone else, but… with you…" He clapped her on the back. "I approve! Good work!"

Jack shot the Doctor a look that demanded an explanation.

"She didn't fight the Cyberplanner — least, not the same way I did," the Doctor said. "Instead, she absorbed it. And wove the 'essence of Seo' into every single fiber of the Cyberplanner's being." He tapped Seo's head. "All those cyber-directives are still in there, but… they're a bit… overwhelmed."

"Well, of course that's what I did," Seo replied, with a shrug. She broke off another bit of chocolate. "What? Did you really think I'd be ridiculous enough to fight a Cyberplanner using chess and golden tickets?" She popped the chocolate into her mouth. "I'm rubbish at chess."

Jack stared.

Jaw dropping.

"However, I am very good," Seo qualified, "at ignoring impulses that make me want to kill lots of people or destroy entire universes. Like with my Twilight training. Or what the Master implanted. Or what that Weapon is."

She paused.

Then, a little uneasily, added, "Ignoring the impulse to destroy the universe… most of the time." She turned to the Doctor. "Sorry about earlier. I'm… better now. Promise."

"You… remember all that?" Jack asked. "Everything that happened down on the—?"

"Naturally," said Seo, with a small laugh. "After all. It was  _me_ , doing it."

She turned to the Doctor.

And gave him a huge hug.

"Thanks for saving me," she said. "Even if I'm still a bit mad at you." Then she turned, and raced over to hug Jack. "Thank you, too. For saving me without the row!"

"So you're back to normal, then?" the Doctor double-checked. "Head's working properly?"

Seo gave a half shrug. Turning back to face him. "I'll have to rebuild the castle," she admitted. "But… well… that shouldn't be too hard. Now that I have the nice, kind, whimsical bit of me, back. I'm just the same Seo as ever!"

The Doctor gave a long, sad sigh. "Yes, you are," he said, in a low voice. "But you'll never feel quite the same, again. You're going to have to get used to that."

"Rubbish," said Seo. She tapped her head. "All my old thoughts and feelings are back where they're supposed to be. Personality's intact. And — best of all — if Glory didn't come out after those humans killed me, it must mean Glory's gone! Burned away! And good riddance!"

Jack glanced at the Doctor. "Uh…"

The Doctor returned to the central console, fiddling with the controls. "Yep, gone," he said. "Nothing but Seo left in your head, now."

"Well…" Seo shuffled a little awkwardly. "I do still have a few other things in my head, besides just me. Like that weapon. And the Cyberplanner — or at least, whatever of him wasn't corrupted during our little tiff. And…"

She paused.

Then gave a mischievous little grin.

"Looks like that Cyberplanner gave me a few information packets from Father's mind, too."

The Doctor froze.

Looked up, suddenly antsy.

"About a hundred and twenty new languages," Seo continued, surveying her new knowledge. "And… ooh! The origin of Skittles! I always wanted to know that."

"Now wait a minute," the Doctor said.

"Seventy new recipes," Seo continued, ignoring him with a wave of her hand. "The steps to something called the 'electric slide'. All the lyrics to the Greatest Hits of Andromeda, from the years Beachtree Zed to Alcalon Twelve. And…" She broke down into a fit of giggles. "…and… this one time, on Irvodrin, when Father decided it'd be so clever to build himself a…!"

"All right, that's enough of that story!" the Doctor said, racing over to Seo. He draped an arm around her shoulder.

"But you did!" Seo insisted. "And then that slimy lizard-toad came over and said…!"

"Bed rest!" the Doctor cut in, leading her into the rest of his ship. "Plenty of bed rest, that's what you need. Far, far away from anyone who can hear!"

* * *

Jack came back into the console room, next morning.

Rolling up his shirtsleeves.

"Just checked on her," he said. "Still sleeping. Never seen her sleep this long."

"Well, she has a lot to digest," the Doctor said. He poked his head out from the console, where he'd been making repairs.

Eyes analyzing Jack, carefully.

Jack paused, by one of the consoles on the outside perimeter of the TARDIS. Trying to act casual, as a single subject weighed down his mind.

"The… Seo we knew," Jack said, slowly. "She's dead, huh?"

The Doctor said nothing.

"Hey, don't get me wrong, this Seo's great," said Jack. "But… she's not really Seo. Just a copy Glory rigged up from a bit of Cyberplanner programming."

The Doctor was quiet a long while.

Then, "She is Seo."

"She's  _Glory_ ," Jack corrected. "Just… with an identity crisis." He raised up his hands. "I mean, let's face it. Before, she was part Seo, part Glory. But now…" He lowered the hands, slowly. "Seo died. And it's  _just_  Glory in there. Through and through."

"I don't think so," said the Doctor.

Jack sighed, crossing his arms. "And what do you think?"

"I had the Cyberplanner in my head," said the Doctor. Returning to his work. "Not everyone can overwhelm a Cyberplanner using just their personality, Jack. Trust me."

"Yeah, but that's only because Glory is a goddess who—" Jack started.

"And as I was thinking about that, it struck me," the Doctor continued, "that if one Cyberplanner, implanted with a dash of Seo-soul, can  _become_ Seo…" He rewired one of the switches, deftly. "Well. Just think what Seo must have done to Glory, way back. God-killer, they called her. Turns out… it was truer than any of those Monks knew."

Jack considered this. "Hadn't thought of it that way."

"Yes, well, you didn't have to talk her out of destroying the universe," the Doctor emphasized, twisting around some cabling. "Trust me. Yesterday, Glory chose to stop being a hell goddess and be Seo, instead. That means yesterday,  _Glory_  died. And  _Seo_  lived."

He paused.

Then, with a bit of an edge, "Despite  _your_  best efforts."

"I  _was_  trying to protect her, you know, Doctor," Jack retorted.

The Doctor paused in his work.

Looked back at Jack, dully.

"Didn't intentionally bring her to a war zone," Jack added, raising up his hands. "Honest."

"You went to a lot of them, though, back when you were in the con game," the Doctor replied. Trying to brush it off lightly. "Giving away dangerous weapons you thought were… space junk."

"Ancient history, now, Doctor," Jack replied. He shrugged. "Besides. Except for that Tula ship — all the others really  _were_  space junk."

The Doctor said nothing.

And Jack recognized there was something wrong.

"I'm not gonna kill her again, Doctor," Jack said. "Once was enough, okay? And considering how many times I died trying to get her back — you can't fault the effort."

"Your current efforts?" The Doctor shook his head. "No. But that won't stop the person you  _were_  from coming through. And putting her in situations like this." He gave Jack a long, hard stare. "Don't suck Seo into your past, Jack. Or you'll have to deal with  _me_."

"What? You think I'm gonna introduce her to the con-man game?" Jack shook his head. "Got over that one a long time ago, Doctor." Then, with a lower, more emphatic voice, added, "And I never conned anything around the Tiberion Galaxy."

The Doctor met Jack's gaze for a long time.

Neither backing down.

Then — eventually — he sighed, and got up from the ground.

"Seo's… important to me, Jack," the Doctor said. Fiddling with controls on the console, to check out his handiwork. "She deserves to be protected."

"That's why I'm here," Jack replied.

The Doctor didn't look up at him.

Thinking through everything he'd heard, on the planet. About Jack. About the Activator…

Someone had — impossibly — built a tool that could flip Seo into a mindless killer, over and over again. And Jack had taken that device. Offloaded it onto a group of desperate humans.

And had delivered Seo straight to Volcano Day.

Was this what Jack had been running from, back when he'd first met the Doctor and Rose? Was there more to this story than Jack had told any of them?

"Given what you're running away from," the Doctor said, in a low voice, "I'm not sure you  _can_."

Silence, again.

Then Jack, casually as he could, but with a darkness behind his eyes, came over and leaned against the central console — across from the Doctor. "So you want to talk about  _that_?" He crossed his arms, head bent. "Figures."

The Doctor looked up from where he was working.

"Not planning on killing any more of my grandkids," Jack said. "If that's what you're worried about."

"That wasn't what I meant," the Doctor said, softly.

"Yeah? Sure sounded like it." Jack watched the Doctor through narrow eyes. "Don't judge. You weren't there. And I guess you had your reasons for not showing, maybe even good ones, but still — you weren't there."

The Doctor opened his mouth to answer.

Then shut it.

And went back to analyzing the intricate workings of his TARDIS. "That was complicated."

"It always is with you." Jack shrugged on his military greatcoat, from where it was hanging, by the front door. "I'm not proud of what I did. But when push comes to shove — someone's gotta save the world. And if you don't show, it's up to me. I gotta live with that." He paused. Then, "Gotta live with all of it."

The Doctor said nothing.

For a very long time.

Then, in a low voice, "I'm sorry."

Jack gave another mirthless laugh. "So am I."

The laugh turned into a sad, lonely sigh. As he turned around, and headed back towards the inner area of the TARDIS.

"I never doubted you, Doctor. And I never will." Jack paused, in the threshold to the rest of the ship. Glanced back. "It's just now, maybe I trust you a little less."

"Perhaps we both trust each other a little less," the Doctor replied.

"Yeah." Jack turned around to face the Doctor. "But I can't say the same of Seo." A small smile lit up his face. "Her and her sister — you got two great kids, there, Doctor. They're gonna go on to do some great things."

The Doctor gave a little smile, too.

"Yes, they will."

Then went back to his work, on the central console.

Jack turned around to check on Seo, where she still slept.

The two never spoke about what happened on Earth, with Steven and Alice, ever again.

* * *

"…you think I want to convert everyone into me?" Seo said, unlocking her ship. She shook her head. "A universe full of Seos? Do you have any idea how  _weird_  that would be?"

"Weird — and very heavy on chocolate," Jack replied.

"And as for emotions making you weak, well… I've never liked armies of emotionless zombies," Seo concluded. "Even when I controlled the Cybermen — I gave them love. Don't you forget that!"

She pushed open the door.

And shot Jack a grin.

"Come along, Jack!" Seo said, hopping inside. "Plenty of planets to save, neat things to see, and dangers to run away from! After all, we must survive!"

Jack cringed, a little, at the last phrase. "Cyberplanner Seo," he muttered. "Oh, boy."

He headed towards Seo's ship.

But paused, before following Seo inside.

To meet the hard stare from the Doctor — who'd just appeared, right beside him.

"No more Cyberwars," the Doctor warned. "No Daleks. No Rutans. No Slitheen. No Time Agency. Nothing else that'll permanently damage, injure, or kill—"

"I get it," Jack said. "First sign of anything sketchy — I'll knock her out, drag her back to her ship, and dematerialize."

The Doctor just crossed his arms.

"I'll protect her, Doctor," Jack swore. "Promise."

"Make sure you do," the Doctor warned.

The shout from Seo to stop listening to her father being dreary and come inside so they could have fun and go exploring dragged Jack away.

As the door shut.

And Oliver faded into the Vortex.

"I just hope you  _can_ , Jack," the Doctor muttered. Turning away. "Before your past actions with that Activator finally catch up with her."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, Seo's dead. And that state of affairs continues. Longer than I thought, actually.
> 
> (That's why, when we see the Tenth incarnation of Seo, she discovers she's only Glory. Because she used to be half and half, but then this story happened, and Seo died.)
> 
> So... yep. I killed off my main character. Anyways!
> 
> Hope you all keep reading! Next up, a Buffy story. "Dream Stealers."
> 
> (That's part of the Invasion of Hell stories, which began with "Genesis".)


End file.
